OCEANS 2018
During the “Our Ocean Conference 2018” in Bali, Indonesia, the United States announced 15 commitments to strengthen sustainable management of marine resources; prevent plastic and other debris from entering the ocean; support research and observation of ocean ecosystems; and foster partnerships promoting maritime security and a sustainable blue economy.
The State Department noted that American efforts include, among other projects: two new five-year programs in Madagascar to improve marine and coastal resources; a new five-year regional activity in Central American Regional Coastal Biodiversity Project; a three-year collaboration between the U.S. AID and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to reduce threats to biodiversity in the Caribbean; and also $5 million from NOAA for ocean observing technology to support the Tropical Pacific Observing System (TPOS) 2020 Project, an international effort to improve our understanding of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the ocean’s role in weather and climate.
IRANIAN HIT SQUADS
In a media interview this week Secretary of State Pompeo discussed the threat from Iranian hit squads plotting to commit assassinations in Denmark, France and Albania. Iran, long recognized as the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism, sent Iranian intelligence operatives into Europe for the third effort in recent times.
Pompeo said that sanctions which the previous administration had relieved against Iran are “snapping back, coming back into effect, and it’s having a real impact on the Iranian leadership. This is important…” in our efforts to get the Iranians to change their behavior. IT will take time and patience.
The Secretary added that: “We are hopeful that [Foreign Minister] Zarif’s boss, the ayatollah, the man who actually makes all the decisions – it’s not Mr. Zarif, it’s the ayatollah – that the ayatollah will see the error of his ways and will come to understand that it’s in Iran’s best interest to change the nature of the activities that Iran is conducting all around the world and become a normal nation.” President Trump has stated that once Iran is in line with other normal nation-states we will welcome the country back into the family of nations.
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IRAN SANCTIONS
President Trump withdrew the United States from the fatally flawed nuclear deal with Iran earlier this year. The new campaign goal, using economic sanctions going into effect on November 5, aims to fundamentally alter Iran’s behavior through deprivation of the revenue it uses to export terrorism. This is Round 19 of economic sanctions and adds over 700 names to the list of blocked entities.
US Secretary of State Pompeo announced that “These sanctions hit at the core areas of Iran’s economy.” He added that to maximize the impact on Iran, Washington is working with other countries by cutting Iranian exports of oil as much as possible. He pointed out that the Administration may issue temporary allotments to eight jurisdictions vs. the 20 allotted during the Obama Administration, multiple times between 2012 and 2015.
Secretary Pompeo said the eight jurisdictions receiving the temporary allotments have aided the US efforts on other significant fronts. At this time Iran’s crude oil exports already are reduced by one million barrels. With the imposition of new sanctions on November 5, Secretary Pompeo explained, “100% of the revenue that Iran receives from the sale of crude oil will be held in foreign accounts and can be used by Iran only for humanitarian trade or bilateral trade in non-sanctioned goods and services.”
“This massive reduction since May of last year is three to five times more than what many analysts were projecting when President Trump announced our withdrawal from the deal back in May. We exceeded our expectations for one simple reason: Maximum pressure means maximum pressure,” according to the Secretary of State. The United States is making exceptions for humanitarian assistance to the people of Iran, including food,agriculture commodities, medicine, and medical devices.
DARIA NOVAK served in the United States State Department during the Reagan Administration, and currently is on the Board of the American Analysis of News and Media, which publishes usagovpolicy.com and the New York Analysis of Policy and Government. Each Saturday, she presents key updates on U.S. foreign policy from the State Department.
Illustration: Pixabay