Trump stated that the United States hopes to reach an agreement with Iran, and if that proves impossible, it will "wait and see how things develop." According to reports, on January 30 local time, U.S. President Trump stated again at the White House that the U.S. is deploying more naval power towards Iran than it previously did for the operation against Venezuela. Trump also mentioned that progress in handling the situation in Venezuela is going smoothly and that relations with the local leadership are "very good." During the late trading session in U.S. stocks, WTI crude oil rose more than 2% from its intraday low, climbing back above $65, while Brent crude also nearly erased its daily losses, trading at $69.59.
Previously, on the 29th in Washington, Trump said that the U.S. has had dialogues with Iran, plans to continue the dialogues, and expressed a hope to "avoid using military force." "We have many very large, powerful ships heading to Iran right now. It would be wonderful if we ultimately don't have to use them." Ali Shamkhani, a political adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei, wrote on the 28th that Iran would consider any military action from the U.S. as the start of a war. Should the U.S. take any military action, Iran would immediately launch a comprehensive and unprecedented counterattack targeting core areas of Israel. U.S. Announces New Sanctions Against Iran According to reports, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced a new round of sanctions against Iran on January 30 local time, targeting Iran's Interior Minister Eskander Momeni and several senior officials of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The Treasury Department's website updated the sanctions list related to Iran that day, adding 7 individuals and 2 entities. Besides Momeni, the list includes Majid Hademi, commander of the IRGC's intelligence department, and commanders of the IRGC in Tehran, Gilan, and Hamedan provinces. Previously, on the 29th, the Council of the European Union issued a communiqué stating its decision to impose sanctions on 15 Iranian officials, including Momeni, and 6 entities. The relevant individuals and entities have been added to the list for asset freezes and visa restrictions. On the same day, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell stated that the EU has decided to designate the IRGC as a "terrorist organization." In response, Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the General Staff of the Armed Forces issued separate statements strongly condemning this decision. Recently, unrest occurred in Iran, resulting in casualties among civilians and law enforcement personnel. In recent days, the United States has repeatedly threatened military intervention in Iran's situation. On the 28th, Trump said on social media that the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group is heading towards Iran, describing it as "more powerful" than the fleet sent to Venezuela, and urged Iran to quickly come to the negotiating table. Reports cited sources suggesting that Trump "is considering launching a new major strike against Iran."
Comments