Newsweek that any military option pursued by the United States against the Islamic Republic would result in all-out conflict with regionwide ramifications. Barack Obama, allowed for the lifting of international sanctions against Iran in exchange for strict curbs on the country's nuclear activities, but then-President Donald Trump abandoned the accord in 2018 and imposed waves of new economic restrictions that have hindered Tehran's international trade ties. He also warned that "the Islamic Republic of Iran reserves its legitimate rights to take countermeasures against parties that have engaged in acts contrary to international law