Mary Margaret Olohan on September 18, 2019
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he told Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to “substantially increase” sanctions on Iran.
The president’s announcement to increase sanctions on Iran follows a Saturday attack on Saudi Arabian oil facilities. Trump suggested Monday that Iran was likely to blame for the attack, but also said he’d like to avoid war with the country, The New York Times reported.
The attack led to a 50% reduction in oil production, Saudi officials said, according to The Washington Post.
“I don’t want war with anybody. I’m somebody that would like not to have war,” Trump said Monday, according to Politico, also warning that the United States is “prepared more than anybody.”
I have just instructed the Secretary of the Treasury to substantially increase Sanctions on the country of Iran!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 18, 2019
“I think I’ll have a stronger message, or maybe no message at all, when we get the final results of what we’re looking at,” he added.
