WASHINGTON, Feb 5 (Bernama-AA) -- United States (US) President Donald Trump has signed two executive orders on Tuesday, one reinstating the "maximum pressure" campaign on Iran and another formally withdrawing the US from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), Anadolu Agency (AA) reported.
The moves come ahead of Trump’s meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, reinforcing his administration’s strong stance on Middle East policy.
Under the new order, the US Treasury Department is directed to impose sweeping sanctions on Iran, targeting its oil exports and curbing its influence in the region.
"It’s very tough on Iran," Trump told reporters. "I'm unhappy to do it, but I really have not so much choice, because we have to be strong and firm."
He reiterated that Iran must never acquire a nuclear weapon and warned of "total obliteration" if Tehran attempted to harm him.
The reimposition of economic pressure aligns with Trump’s broader policy of confrontation with Iran, which saw his administration unilaterally withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal and order the assassination of Iranian military commander General Qasim Soleimani in 2020.
Simultaneously, Trump signed an order pulling the US out of the UNHRC, reviving a decision he first made during his initial term.
The move also cuts future US funding to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), which had already been suspended in 2024 under the Biden administration.
A White House fact sheet, cited by Politico, stated that the UN rights council “has not fulfilled its purpose and continues to be used as a protective body for countries committing horrific human rights violations.”
Last October, Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, passed laws banning UNRWA’s operations in Israeli-controlled territories and prohibiting Israeli officials from engaging with the agency.
-- BERNAMA-AA
