EXCLUSIVE-Trump plans executive order to punish arms trade with Iran -sources

By Arshad Mohammed and Michelle Nichols

WASHINGTON/UNITED NATIONS, Sept 17 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump plans to issue an executive order allowing him to impose U.S. sanctions on anyone who violates a conventional arms embargo against Iran, three sources familiar with the matter said on Thursday.

The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the executive order was expected to be issued in the coming days and would allow the president to punish violators with secondary sanctions, depriving them of access to the U.S. market.

Neither the White House nor the Iranian mission to the United Nations immediately responded to requests for comment.

The proximate cause for the U.S. action is the impending expiry of a U.N. arms embargo on Iran and to warn foreign actors - U.S. entities are already barred from such trade - that if they buy or sell arms to Iran they will face U.S. sanctions.

(Reporting By Arshad Mohammed and Michelle Nichols Additional reporting by Steve Holland Editing by Mary Milliken and Grant McCool)

((arshad.mohammed@thomsonreuters.com; +1 202 898 8300; Reuters Messaging: arshad.mohammed.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))

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