By Daphne Psaledakis
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Treasury Department’s top sanctions official will travel to the Middle East and Europe on Friday, according to a statement seen by Reuters, as President Donald Trump’s administration seeks to increase pressure on Iran.
John Hurley, undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, will travel in the coming days to Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Lebanon, according to the statement, in his first trip to the Middle East since taking office.
After taking office for his second term, Trump restored his “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran, which includes efforts to prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon. In June, the U.S. bombed Iran’s nuclear sites.
“President Trump has made clear that Iran’s destabilizing and terrorist activities must be met with sustained and coordinated pressure,” Hurley said in the statement.
“I look forward to meeting with our partners to coordinate our efforts to deny Tehran and its proxies the financial access they rely on to evade international sanctions, fund violence, and undermine stability in the region.”
Iran’s mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
UN REINSTATED ARMS EMBARGO IN SEPTEMBER
In his first term, Trump withdrew the U.S. from a 2015 deal between Iran and world powers that placed strict limits on Tehran’s uranium enrichment activities in exchange for sanctions relief.
In September, the United Nations reinstated an arms embargo and other sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program.
Western powers accuse Iran of having a clandestine agenda to develop nuclear weapons capability by enriching uranium to a high level of fissile purity, above what they say is justifiable for a civilian atomic energy program. Tehran says its nuclear program is wholly for civilian power purposes.
While in Israel, Hurley will discuss furthering Trump’s maximum pressure campaign against Tehran, particularly against its regional proxies, according to the statement. Pressure against Iran will also be high on the agenda in the UAE, along with combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism.
In Turkey, the Treasury official will discuss how the two countries can “work together to stop regional malign influences and sanctions evasion.”
Under former President Joe Biden’s administration, the U.S. had raised concerns about poor sanctions compliance in the UAE.
(Reporting by Daphne PsaledakisEditing by Rod Nickel)
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