Donald Trump, the former President of the United States, officially announced on Thursday evening, October 15 (23 Mehr), in an interview with Newsmax, that he will not use nuclear weapons in a war against the Islamic Republic of Iran. These statements come amid growing concerns about an escalation of military confrontation between the United States and the Islamic Republic.
New U.S. Sanctions Against Iran
In this context, the U.S. Department of the Treasury also imposed sanctions on 16 Iranian citizens and 10 entities related to Iran on Thursday, October 15. These sanctions include three banks, several exchange offices, and a trading company operating in Iran, Iraq, and Hong Kong.
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OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control), as one of the agencies of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, has approved these sanctions with the aim of exerting economic pressure on the Islamic Republic of Iran. Among the sanctioned entities are the "International Development Bank for Investment and Financing" of Iraq and the "Chabahar International Bank". These entities have been accused of providing dollars and transferring oil revenues as well as circumventing sanctions.
Increasing Tensions and Use of Non-Nuclear Weapons
In his interview, Trump also referred to the absence of U.S. ground troops in Iran and emphasized that the country is not seeking to escalate conflicts. At the same time, CNN reported that the U.S. military is considering the use of the GBU-43 bomb, known as the "Mother of All Bombs", as an option in future attacks against Iran.
The GBU-43 bomb is considered the most powerful non-nuclear weapon in the U.S. arsenal and is comparable in power to a small nuclear bomb. If such an attack is carried out, it would be the first time the United States uses this bomb against the Islamic Republic. Targeted objectives include energy infrastructure and Iran's nuclear facilities.
These developments come as Scott P. Amey, the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, also pointed to the tightening of the economic siege on the Islamic Republic, emphasizing that even Iran's allied countries cannot save it under these conditions. He stated that the Treasury Department will not back down until the Islamic Republic's treasury is empty and all remaining financial channels supporting its war machine are cut off.
Overall, these statements and new sanctions indicate the United States' determination to exert further pressure on the Islamic Republic and prevent any military or economic activities that could escalate tensions in the region.
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