Trump administration prepares to restore Iran sanctions

The Trump administration is prepared to restore on Monday sanctions on Iran that were previously removed by the Iran deal. However, in a tweet Saturday afternoon, President Trump suggested Iranian leaders might avoid the punitive measures by agreeing to meet with him:

Most of the sanctions to be imposed Monday are "fairly modest stuff," Richard Nephew, principal deputy coordinator for sanctions policy during the Obama administration, told The Hill.

"One of the things I've heard an awful lot of over the course of the last couple of months is whether or not this is still all a feint and all intended to rejuvenate the diplomatic process that had otherwise been stalled," Nephew added. "I think that come Monday, a lot of that speculation, a lot of that wishful thinking will have been put to rest when those sanctions are back in place."

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Tehran has so far rejected Trump's diplomatic overtures since he withdrew from the Iran deal. On Sunday, Iran said its troops are practicing war games to prepare for "confronting possible threats."