Germany will block $400 million cash payment to Iran after pressure from U.S.
An ally to the United States has agreed to terminate a $400 million cash delivery to Iran, according to The Daily Wire. The largest financial institution in Germany has agreed to halt the massive “donation” to the Muslim nation after pressure from President Donald Trump‘s administration.
Deutsche Bundesbank has worked with Iran’s government for years to bypass U.S. sanctions. After the Obama administration terminated the sanctions as part of the Iran Nuclear Deal, the German bank had agreed to give Iran a $400 million loan.
But when the Trump administration reimposed the sanctions on Iran earlier this month for failing to comply with international law and attempting to bolsters its nuclear arsenal, the German bank was originally going to approve the cash delivery days before the U.S. sanctions officially kicked in on Aug. 25.
Germany was apparently trying to subvert the U.S. sanctions, even when the Trump administration was actively telling them not to do so because it would not be used to actually help the people struggling in Iran’s collapsing economy.
The Daily Wire reports that U.S. ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell urged the German government to terminate the $400 million cash delivery, and they agreed to do so.
The new sanctions officially kick in on Aug. 25, and it appears Germany was trying to beat the clock and get the payment delivered. It’s unclear why they seemed to be so persistent in delivering $400 million in cash to the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism.
More importantly, nations that were previously reluctant to abide by Trump’s sanctions are coming around and working with the U.S.
Prior to Germany announcing it would halt the massive cash payment, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said he will comply with the renewed sanctions despite Iran being its neighbor in the Middle East.
Both Germany and Iraq adhering to Trump’s sanctions also comes after the president removed the U.S. from the Iranian Nuclear Deal. The president vowed to impose more stringent measures on Iran to force them to stop attempting to advance its nuclear capabilities.
As noted by Conservative Daily Post, Iraq complying with the sanctions is particularly notable given that it is the second-largest importer of Iranian non-hydrocarbon products. In 2017, Iraq bought roughly $6 billion worth of goods from Iran.
After numerous threats and efforts to bolster its nuclear capabilities, the Trump administration has successfully gotten Iraq and Germany to reverse course and comply with the new sanctions.
Many would agree that’s a big win for everyone seeking to combat the Iranian regime and its dangerous ambitions.
