Details of U.S. Executive Order to Reinstate Maximum Pressure: Ending Iran’s Threats and Nuclear Blackmail

U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order reactivating the maximum pressure campaign against the clerical regime in Iran. The National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM-2), issued on February 4, 2025, aims to completely eliminate Iran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons, and intercontinental ballistic missiles, and disrupt its regional destabilization efforts. 

The memorandum directs multiple U.S. agencies to enact wide-ranging economic, diplomatic, and legal measures to counter Iran’s nuclear, military, and financial activities. The U.S. President declared: “Iran’s nuclear program, including its enrichment- and reprocessing-related capabilities and nuclear-capable missiles, poses an existential danger to the United States and the entire civilized world.”

Key Objectives of U.S. Policy Toward Iran 

The executive order lays out four main priorities for U.S. policy: 

1. Prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). 
2. Neutralize Iran’s global terrorist network and regional aggression campaign. 
3. Disrupt and weaken the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its proxy forces by cutting off financial resources. 
4. Counter Iran’s missile development program and other asymmetric and conventional weapons advancements. 

Actionable Measures Implemented Under the Executive Order 

The directive assigns specific responsibilities to U.S. government agencies to execute the maximum pressure strategy. 

1. U.S. Department of the Treasury – Financial and Economic Sanctions

The Treasury Department is mandated to: 

• Immediately impose sanctions on any entity violating Iran-related restrictions. 

• Enforce an aggressive sanctions campaign to deprive Iran and its proxies of financial resources. 

• Review, modify, or rescind any exemptions or licenses that provide financial relief to Iran. 

• Issue updated guidance to global financial institutions, shipping companies, and insurers warning them about the risks of engaging with Iranian-linked businesses. 

• Maintain Iran under Financial Action Task Force (FATF) countermeasures, ensuring increased financial oversight to prevent Tehran’s illicit revenue streams. 

Today, @POTUS signed a National Security Presidential Memorandum restoring maximum pressure on the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, denying Iran all paths to a nuclear weapon, and countering Iran's malign influence abroad. https://t.co/XstlPPxbiF

— Department of State (@StateDept) February 5, 2025

2. U.S. Department of State – Diplomatic and Trade Restrictions

The State Department has been instructed to: 

• Eliminate Iran’s oil exports to zero, including shipments to China and other buyers. 

• Rescind all sanctions waivers, particularly those benefiting Iran’s economic and financial sectors, including waivers linked to Iran’s Chabahar port project. 

• Lead a global diplomatic effort to further isolate Iran, including within international organizations such as the United Nations. 

• Disrupt Iran’s financial ties in Iraq and the Gulf states, ensuring Iran cannot bypass U.S. sanctions through regional trade networks. 

3. U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations – Reinstating Global Sanctions

The U.S. Ambassador to the UN has been directed to: 

• Work with key allies to trigger the snapback mechanism, reinstating international sanctions and restrictions previously lifted under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). 

• Hold Iran accountable for breaching the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). 

• Regularly convene UN Security Council sessions to highlight Iran’s global security threats. 

President Donald Trump signs executive order to impose maximum pressure on Iran: "This is one that I'm torn about…It's very tough on Iran…I'm going to sign it, but hopefully we're not going to use it very much…we have to be strong and firm…Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon." pic.twitter.com/ZlHOArioXs

— CSPAN (@cspan) February 4, 2025

4. U.S. Department of Justice – Legal and Law Enforcement Actions

The Justice Department is ordered to: 

• Investigate and prosecute Iranian-linked financial and logistical networks operating in the U.S. and globally. 

• Seize illicit Iranian oil shipments transported in violation of sanctions. 

• Identify and freeze Iranian state assets in the U.S. and abroad. 

• Indict and prosecute leaders and members of Iranian-backed terrorist groups, including Hezbollah and Hamas. 

• Disrupt Iranian espionage, cyber activities, and foreign influence operations targeting U.S. institutions. 

5. U.S. Department of Commerce – Export Control Enforcement

The Commerce Department must: 

• Implement strict export control measures to prevent Iran from acquiring military-grade technology and components. 

Trump Administration’s Justifications for Maximum Pressure 

The memorandum cites Iran’s involvement in terrorism, regional destabilization, and nuclear proliferation as reasons for the policy shift. Trump emphasized: “Iran remains the world’s leading state sponsor of terror and has aided Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, the Taliban, al-Qa’ida, and other terrorist networks.”

The directive also underscores the regime’s human rights violations, stating: “Iran commits grievous human rights abuses and arbitrarily detains foreigners, including United States citizens, on spurious charges without due process of law, subjecting them to abuse. The United States stands with the women of Iran who face daily abuse by the regime.“ 

Nuclear Threat and U.S. Strategy to Counter Iran’s Weapons Program 

The memorandum explicitly states: “A radical regime like this can never be allowed to acquire or develop nuclear weapons, or to extort the United States or its allies through the threat of nuclear weapons acquisition, development, or use.”

Trump’s executive order follows reports from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) indicating that Iran has increased uranium enrichment sevenfold. The U.S. government has classified Iran’s nuclear advances as a direct national security threat. 

Global and Domestic Implications of the Policy 

• The Iranian regime’s economy is expected to experience further contraction due to restrictions on oil exports and financial transactions. 

• Major international corporations will face penalties if they engage in transactions that violate U.S. sanctions. 

• The U.S. and its allies will reinforce military deterrence in the Middle East to counter potential Iranian retaliatory actions. 

The new directives for reinstating maximum pressure will be issued in the form of a Presidential Memorandum, rather than an Executive Order. Both are executive directives issued by the U.S. President to define government policies or guide the operations of executive agencies. Presidential Memoranda are generally issued as guidance for cabinet members and policy-setting directives for the administration. While they hold less executive authority than an Executive Order, they are still binding for executive agencies. Additionally, these directives are not typically reported to Congress, unless they involve specific matters such as budget allocations.