The Obama administration imposed new economic sanctions Monday on the Iranian government in a bid to cripple the country and bring it to the negotiation table to prove that its nuclear program is peaceful.
Targeting the country's currency and automobile industry, the new sanctions are aimed to isolate Tehran from the global financial system.
The new sanctions, which go into effect on July 1, will badly penalize the sale of goods and services to Iran's auto industry and the new rules even authorizes sanctions against foreign financial institutions, which carry out transactions in Iran's currency, according to the USA TODAY.
"The steps taken today are part of President Obama's commitment to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, by raising the cost of Iran's defiance of the international community," said the White House spokesman Jay Carney in a statement on Monday.
"Even as we intensify our pressure on the Iranian government, we hold the door open to a diplomatic solution that allows Iran to rejoin the community of nations if they meet their obligations," said Jay Carney.
This is the first time that White House is directly aiming to cripple Iran by imposing economic sanctions.
Earlier sanctions attacked Iran's oil industry and affected Iran's exports dramatically.
The U.S. as well as the U.N. in recent months have demanded that the Iranian government prove that its nuclear program holds "no threat" to the world but Iran has constantly denied the accusations of holding any potential threat to the stability and harmony of the global society.
