US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani            ( Photo: AP)

The White House announced last Saturday that President Donald Trump will impose a new sanction on Iran if 3 American citizens, including a former agent for the FBI and CIA, being detained in Iran on charges of spying, are not released and returned home. A Chinese-born American citizen and graduate student at Princeton University was sentenced to ten years in prison after being convicted of spying in Iran. The Iranian government has rejected Washington's demands to free detained US citizens, saying it has no control over the judiciary. Iran has criticized the US for intervening in its internal affairs and says US demands are unacceptable.

Last week the US imposed new economic sanctions on Iran aimed at its ballistic missile program. Washington has censured Tehran for its part in the Gulf diplomatic crisis. Meanwhile Iran says the 110-billion-USD military contract between the US and Saudi Arabia signed in May is a threat to Iran.

Iran’s Defense Ministry said it has produced a new type of missile which can reach a height of 27km and a distance of 120km and is capable of shooting down aircraft, helicopters, drones, and cruise missiles.

Short period of warm relations

US-Iran relations improved for a short period after Iran and P5+1 (the US, Russia, China, France, the UK, and Germany) signed a deal in July, 2015. The deal was considered a historic milestone, concluding 12 months of negotiations. It limited Iran’s development of nuclear facilities in return for a lifting of sanctions. While the deal was considered a diplomatic victory by President Barack Obama to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear bomb, President Trump has repeatedly criticized the dead and said stronger measures are necessary. He called it the worst deal ever and declared his intention to withdraw from the deal.

After two inspections to verify compliance, the US has agreed that Iran has abided by the deal, but President Trump says it’s not enough.

Increasing tension in the Middle East

The US has strongly condemned Iran’s missile and nuclear programs by strengthening economic sanctions, while at the same time agreeing that Iran when it said Iran has complied with the nuclear deal. Iran vows that it will retaliate if the US doesn’t keep its part of the deal. The deal, signed after long tough negotiations is now in jeopardy.