(Reuters) – Iran, bracing for a possible reimposition of incoming U.S. President Donald Trump’s “maximum pressure” policy, said on Saturday that 2025 would be a key year for its nuclear issue.
Trump in 2018 walked back a deal struck by his predecessor Barack Obama in 2015 in which Iran agreed to curb its enrichment of uranium, which could provide material for nuclear weapons, in exchange for the easing of US economic sanctions and the UN.
“2025 will be an important year regarding Iran’s nuclear issue,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told reporters in Beijing, adding in comments carried by Iranian state television that he had discussed the issue in talks with his Chinese counterpart.
However, he did not mention Trump by name or explain how important this year could be.
Iranian leaders’ biggest concern could be that Trump could give Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the power to attack Iran’s nuclear sites while further tightening US sanctions on the crucial oil industry.
The Iranian rial hit a new low against the US dollar on Saturday amid uncertainty over Trump’s arrival at the White House on January 20.
The rial fell to 820,500 per dollar on the unofficial market, compared with 808,500 rials on Friday, according to Bonbast.com, which reports exchange rates. The website bazar360.com also said the dollar was sold for about 820,500 rials.
Also facing an inflation rate officially set at around 35%, Iranians looking to protect their savings have bought dollars, other hard currencies, gold or cryptocurrencies, and the rial has fallen by around 18% overall since Trump was elected in November .
