The sweeping sanctions imposed during Trump’s first term encompassed the entire Iranian economy, and did not let up even during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Iran was hit particularly hard. Former US President Joe Biden’s administration also piled on the sanctions,

President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed a memorandum to restore the so-called maximum pressure campaign on Iran from his first administration.

Iran on Sunday firmly rejected the United States’ restoration of the “maximum pressure” policy which aims to restrict Tehran’s oil exports.

"I would much prefer a Verified Nuclear Peace Agreement, which will let Iran peacefully grow and prosper," Trump said in the post. The president withdrew the U.S. in 2018 from the nuclear deal negotiated by President Barack Obama, called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.