THE HILL
Trump’s Iran sanctions signal return to coercion
by Mark Dubowitz, Behnam Ben Taleblu
February 4, 2017

On Friday the Treasury Department added 13 persons and 12 entities to their Specially Designated Nationals list for supporting “Iranian destabilizing activity.” According to National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, the sanctions communicate the end of “turning a blind eye to Iran’s hostile and belligerent actions toward the United States and the world community.” The designations come in response to Tehran’s recent flight-testing of nuclear-capable ballistic missiles, as well as the ongoing cultivation by the Quds Force, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ external arm, of assets and allies throughout the Middle East. Former Obama administration officials have likened the move to an “escalation,” but it is Iran that has been ratcheting up tension over ballistic missiles and support for terrorism since the nuclear deal was reached in mid-2015. READ MORE

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