Accusing Iran of 'nuclear extortion,' U.S. promises to impose new sanctions

Jackie Wolcott.
(Image credit: Alex Halada/AFP/Getty Images)

During an emergency meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna on Wednesday, the American ambassador accused Iran of "nuclear extortion," after President Trump promised further sanctions against the country.

Tehran has started stockpiling and enriching uranium, breaking the limit set by the nuclear deal it reached with major world powers. There is "no credible reason for Iran to expand its nuclear program, and there is no way to read this as anything other than a crude and transparent attempt to extort payments from the international community." Jackie Wolcott, the U.S. ambassador, said. If Iran wants sanctions relief, it must come "through negotiations, not nuclear extortion," she added.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.