The Trump administration has reimposed economic sanctions against Iran, following Trump’s decision to withdraw from the landmark 2015 Iran nuclear deal. The reimposition of sanctions increases tensions between the U.S. and Iran, and the U.S. and its European allies. This morning Trump threatened other countries seeking to trade with Iran, tweeting, “Anyone doing business with Iran will NOT be doing business with the United States.” Trump withdrew from the nuclear agreement even though international experts certified that Iran was complying with the terms of the deal. On Monday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani condemned the sanctions as “psychological warfare” and said he wouldn’t begin negotiations until the sanctions are withdrawn.

President Hassan Rouhani: “The first step would be for U.S. President Donald Trump to show that he genuinely wants to engage in negotiations to solve a problem. What’s the meaning of negotiations when you impose sanctions at the same time? It’s like someone pulling a knife to stab a rival or an enemy in the arm, while at the same time claiming, 'We should be talking and negotiating.' The answer in such a case would be to say, 'Remove the knife from the arm and put the knife away.'”