The Trump administration rescinded a waiver on Saturday that had allowed Iraq to pay Iran for electricity as part of President Donald Trump's "maximum pressure" campaign against Tehran, a State Department spokesperson said.

Axar.az reports that the decision to let Iraq's waiver lapse upon its expiration "ensures we do not allow Iran any degree of economic or financial relief," the spokesperson said, adding that Trump's campaign on Iran aims "to end its nuclear threat, curtail its ballistic missile program and stop it from supporting terrorist groups."

Trump restored "maximum pressure" on Iran in one of his first acts after returning to office in January. In his first term, he pulled the U.S. out of the Iran nuclear deal, a multinational agreement to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

The U.S. government has said it wants to isolate Iran from the global economy and eliminate its oil export revenues to slow Tehran's development of a nuclear weapon.

Iran denies pursuing nuclear weapons and says its program is peaceful.

Washington has imposed a range of sanctions on Tehran over its nuclear program and support for militant organizations, effectively banning countries that do business with Iran from doing business with the U.S.

"President Trump has been clear that the Iranian Regime must cease its ambitions for a nuclear weapon or face Maximum Pressure," said National Security spokesperson James Hewitt. "We hope the regime will put the interests of its people and the region ahead of its destabilizing policies."