President Trump announced that he had “instructed the Secretary of the Treasury to substantially increase sanctions on the country of Iran”. Foreign Minister Zarif contended that the phrasing was an “admission that the U.S. is deliberately targeting ordinary citizens: economic terrorism, illegal and inhuman. Stop war and terror”. Prime Minister Netanyahu reacted by stating that “Iran’s aggression has increased of late, including in the Gulf, and this is precisely the time to increase pressure and sanctions”.