US Calls for Another Round of Sanctions Against Iran

United States President Donald Trump announced heavy sanctions against the Iran National Bank from the Oval Office on Friday, referring to the measure as the “highest tax ever against another country.” The move is meant to punish the Iranian government that Trump still believes is the responsible for the attacks to a Saudi refinery this past week, which Yemen factions already admitted to carrying out.

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Teheran continues to deny the U.S. allegations and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif reiterated on Friday that Iran has no "desire for war" but emphasized that the Islamic Republic will defend and has always defended its people and nation.

The top diplomat responded to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's Friday statement that Iran wants an "all-out war" and will fight to the "last American" by tweeting: "@SecPompeo has it the other way around: It's not #Iran that wishes to fight to the last American; rather, it is his #B_Team hosts who seem to wish to fight Iran to the last American."

Though Trump has blustered threats of military action against Iran in recent months, the economic punishments may be a way the administration is avoiding open conflicts against Hasan Rohani's regime, though the U.S. president says the use of the military is never off the table.

This isn't the first time that the current White House has uppsed sanctions against the Islamic Republic since he broke away from the nuclear agreement with Iran in May 2018. 

U.S. Secretary of Treasury Steven Mnuchin says the newest sanctions will cut all sources of funds to Iran, including their sovereign wealth fund.

“No more money to finance terrorism,” claimed the secretary.

Pompeo said Friday while in the allied United Arab Emirates that the White House prefers “a pacifist solution” with Iran.