US Sanctions on Iran

Published in Kyoto Shimbun
(Japan) on 8 August 2018
by (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Deborah Chapin. Edited by Nkem Okafor.
President Donald Trump has imposed certain sanctions on Iran. Automotive parts, metal materials, precious metals and the prohibition of deals using U.S. currency are among the targets. If industries and financial institutions from third-party countries such as Japan violate the sanctions, then they will also be targeted with serious penalties.

The major industries in Iran, such as the automobile and steel industries, are expected to take a huge hit and there are also worries about the effect sanctions will have on the world’s economy and on the Middle East. In November, the U.S. plans to impose further sanctions on petroleum, the heart of Iran’s economy.

Despite the fact that, other than the U.S., Iran and the countries involved in the Iran nuclear deal are barely hanging onto it, it is clear that the goal of the U.S. is to cause the agreement to collapse as forcefully as possible. This is too aggressive. I urge the U.S. administration to reconsider.

Iran incurred economic sanctions from the U.S. and Europe when they detected Iran’s secret nuclear development. But in 2015, Iran agreed to restrict nuclear development in exchange for the cancellation of the sanctions.

Yet in May, the Trump administration pointed out that aspects of the agreement were defective, citing the time period that Iran had to restrain from nuclear development, and asserted those defects were reasons for the U.S. to withdraw from the deal. It can be said that the Trump administration imposed the sanctions before the U.S. midterm elections in November, strongly aware of the support from their domestic base. For Trump supporters, sanctions are also meaningful in that they negate the legacy of the Obama era.

However, the International Atomic Energy Agency has continued its oversight on Iran and its latest report shows that Iran has abided by the nuclear agreement. The claim by the U.S. is unfounded.

The Trump administration has said that it will not recognize exceptions in the oil embargo. This would have a big impact on Japan, which relies on Iran for 5.5 percent of its oil supplies, and the Japanese government is seeking an exception from the U.S.

Japan is currently supporting the Iran nuclear deal. However, it has not strongly criticized the Trump administration’s withdrawal from the agreement or the demands of the embargo. Our situation is that we must rely on the U.S. for resolving the North Korea nuclear missile problem. However, isn’t this a different issue from demanding that we not buy oil from Iran? Gasoline prices are already rising. Isn’t it true that many citizens will not agree with this?

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe should ask the U.S. to reconsider imposing sanctions. Trump called for an unconditional conference with Iran’s President Hasan Rouhani. It was aimed at invalidating the Iran nuclear deal. Doesn’t this further raise Iran’s distrust of the U.S.? It appears that China, the largest importer of Iranian oil, will increase yuan payments and not adopt the embargo measures. In the EU, European corporations are also invoking measures to invalidate the sanctions. It is unclear if the sanctions will proceed the way the U.S. expects. Japan needs to also deal calmly with this.


米国のトランプ政権が対イラン制裁の一部を発動した。
 対象は自動車部品や鉄鋼原料、貴金属などで、米ドル取引を禁止する。日本など第三国の企業や金融機関も違反すれば巨額の罰金対象になる。
 イランの主要産業である自動車や鉄鋼などが大きな打撃を受けるとみられ、世界経済と中東情勢に与える影響も懸念される。
 米国はさらに、イラン経済の心臓ともいえる石油部門への制裁発動を11月に予定している。
 核合意は現在も米以外の関係国とイランによってかろうじて維持されているが、これを力ずくでも崩壊させたい米の狙いが透けて見える。横暴が過ぎる。米政権には再考を促したい。
 イランは秘密裏の核開発が発覚し米欧による経済制裁を受けていたが、2015年に核開発の制限を受け入れる代わりに制裁を解除することで合意した。
 一方、トランプ政権は今年5月、核規制に期限があるなどの「欠陥」を理由に合意から離脱した。制裁発動は、11月の米中間選挙を前に、米国内の自らの支持基盤を強く意識したものといえる。支持者向けに、オバマ政権時代の「遺産」を否定する意味もある。
 だが、国際原子力機関はイランへの査察を続け、最新の報告でも核合意は守られているとしている。米の主張は根拠を欠いている。
 トランプ政権は石油禁輸では例外を認めないという。イランに原油調達の5・5%を依存する日本への影響は大きく、日本政府は米国に例外扱いを求めている。
 日本は、イラン核合意を現在も支持している。一方で、トランプ政権の離脱や今回の禁輸要求を強くは批判していない。
 北朝鮮の核・ミサイル問題で米国に頼らねばならない事情はある。だが、イラン産の石油まで買うな、というのは筋が違わないか。
 すでにガソリン価格は値上がりしている。多くの国民は納得できないのではないか。安倍晋三首相は制裁発動の再考を求めるべきだ。 トランプ氏はイランのロウハニ大統領に無条件での会談を呼び掛けた。核合意の無効化を狙ったものだが、かえってイランの対米不信を高めるのではないか。
 イラン産石油の最大輸入国である中国は人民元決済を増やし、禁輸措置は取らないとみられる。EUも欧州企業への制裁を無効化する措置を発動する。制裁が米国の思惑通りに動くかは不透明だ。日本も冷静に対処する必要がある。
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