US to Continue Maximum Pressure on Iran Until Tehran Changes Behavior - Bolton

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The United States will maintain its campaign of maximum pressure on Iran until Tehran changes its behavior with respect to expanding its influence and threatening neighbors, US National Security Advisor John Bolton said in a statement on Monday.

"For too long the Iranian regime fomented conflict [and] instability to expand its influence [and] threaten its neighbors with little cost for its actions. No more," Bolton said via Twitter. "We will continue to apply maximum pressure until Tehran abandons its unacceptable behavior."

In May 2018, the United States withdrew from the Iran nuclear agreement and reinstated wide-ranging sanctions on Iran, including secondary sanctions against companies and financial institutions of countries that do business that country.

China, France, Germany, Iran, Russia, the United Kingdom and the European Union — the other signatories of the nuclear agreement with Iran — have criticized the US move to withdraw from the accord. In addition, the European Union has attempted to set up a special mechanism to bypass US sanctions.

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The EU initiative to create the special mechanism has provoked harsh criticism from Washington, which continues to call for a wind-down of Iranian oil imports and any business with Tehran.