While the announcement of Joe Biden's win in the 2020 presidential bid hasn't been made official yet, the White House transition has been one of the most discussed topics by media and politicians worldwide, including the new president's foreign policy which is expected to reverse many of the stance taken by the Trump administration over the last four years, including those regarding Iran.
This was 100% expected: “the Trump administration wants to announce a new set of sanctions on Iran every week until Jan. 20.”
— Ariane Tabatabai (@ArianeTabatabai) November 8, 2020
Let’s be clear about what this is: An attempt to limit the next admin’s options not to move the ball forward on Iran policy. https://t.co/bnEhLf1OQx
It is no secret that the republican and democratic views on how to deal with the Iranian nuclear ambition have widely varied over the years, especially after the Obama administration signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with Iran and the European Union in 2015, inaugurating a less-hostile approach towards Iran, an agreement the US withdrew from as soon as Donald Trump made it to the White House in 2017 before imposing many vigorous sanctions on the country.
Now, with Biden's projected win that is expected to bring back a softer stance with Iran, the Trump administration that has yet several weeks before leaving the White House seems to be taken an emergency drastic decision towards Iran, including what has been described as "a flood" of sanctions, which according to Axios will feature a new set of sanctions every week until the 20th of January 2021, the date Trump and his team will have to leave the White House to the new president-elect.
The Trump administration, in coordination with Israel, is pushing to slap a new set of sanctions on Iran every week until Jan. 20 in order to make it harder for Joe Biden to revive the 2015 nuclear deal. https://t.co/YeBhJexVo6
— Axios (@axios) November 8, 2020
Many expected a lame duck Trump administration might try & tie hands of a Biden administration on future Iran policy. @axios reports outgoing Trump administration looking at plan to “announce a new set of sanctions on Iran every week until Jan. 20”. https://t.co/AR2mrwGGXv
— Louisa Loveluck (@leloveluck) November 9, 2020
Social media commentators shared the not-so-surprising news with questions on whether this is a Trump's attempt to make Biden's future softer decisions on Iran harder to make, as some users described it "an attempt to sabotage the Biden transition," especially as the US President refuses to concede to elections' results announced on Saturday, while his legal team pledged to start lawsuits to "prove Trump's win."
Trump Reportedly to ‘Flood’ Iran With Sanctions to Make It Harder For Biden to Revive Nuclear Deal - Sputnik International https://t.co/C1Ol8SPB2O
— Mark Elson Dankof (@DankofMark) November 9, 2020
@Regrann from @shaunking - ? LISTEN TO THIS. Somehow, this might be the single most dangerous moment of the day. The reporter asks Trump a VERY simple question. “Will you commit to a peaceful transfer of power” if you aren’t re-elected? HE REFUSES TO SAY YES. pic.twitter.com/jofLBesaW1
— knowlej (@knowlej) September 25, 2020
Throughout the presidential race, Donald Trump has several times refused to commit to a peaceful transition of power in case he lost elections, which has altered many questions on how the next few weeks will go until the new term starts next January.
