Trump signs executive orders ensuring 'maximum pressure' on Iran, withdraws from UN Human Rights Council

On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump took a series of actions to put “maximum pressure” on the Iranian government.

One executive order, the National Security Presidential Memorandum/NSPM-2, describes several ways in which “Iran’s behavior threatens the national interest of the United States.”

It says Iran “remains the world’s leading state sponsor of terror,” that it “bears responsibility” for the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks and subsequent Houthi attacks, and “commits grievous human rights abuses.”

The order further states that Iran’s nuclear program “poses an existential danger to the United States.”

Given these actions by the “revolutionary theocracy” of Iran, the order declares that it is “in the national interest to impose maximum pressure on the Iranian regime to end its nuclear threat, curtail its ballistic missile program, and stop its support for terrorist groups.”

Among the several measures to pressure Iran is a directive for the U.S. Permanent Representative to the UN to “work with key allies to complete the snapback of international sanctions and restrictions on Iran.”

Trump told reporters that he was “torn about” signing the order.

“I’m unhappy to do it, but I really have not so much choice because we have to be strong and firm, and I hope that it’s not going to have to be used in any great measure at all,” he said.

In addition to this memorandum, Trump signed an order to “end funding to certain United Nations organizations,” including the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

The executive order says “some of the UN’s agencies…act contrary to the interests of the United States while attacking our allies and propagating anti-Semitism.”

The order makes clear that the US “will not participate in the UNHRC,” and that it “will not fund UNRWA,” and it will “conduct a review of its membership in UNESCO,” with a focus on “an analysis of any anti-Semitism or anti-Israel sentiment within the organization.”