The U.S. has imposed new sanctions on Iranian oil exports — Associated Press
Washington has stepped up economic pressure on Tehran. The U.S. Treasury Department has announced a new package of sanctions targeting Iran’s oil and gas sector. The decision was made amid reports of preliminary agreements between the parties.
The Associated Press reports on this.
The new sanctions were imposed in parallel with a statement by a U.S. official that Washington and Tehran had reached preliminary agreements on extending the ceasefire and launching nuclear talks.
According to the Associated Press, these restrictions are part of a broader and ever-expanding campaign of economic pressure by the Trump administration, aimed at forcing Iran to agree to the demands put forward. At the same time, analysts note that numerous similar sanctions against Tehran have been imposed by both Republican and Democratic administrations over many decades, yet have failed to produce the desired result.
The new sanctions package is directly targeted at Sepehr Energy Jahan, the oil division of the Iranian armed forces. This entity facilitates the transport of millions of barrels of Iranian crude oil to China. An official press release from the Treasury Department notes that the Iranian military accumulates profits from these operations through a network of shell companies, using the funds for its own rearmament and to pose threats to neighboring states.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent assured that the department will continue to systematically block the sale of Iranian oil. According to him, the main goal of these actions is to completely deprive the Iranian regime and its military units of the financial resources they use to threaten American partners and allies in the Middle East.
Earlier, Iran and the U.S. exchangedaccusations following new strikes.
The day before, U.S. President Donald Trump announced significant progress in negotiations with Tehran, noting that as part of a potential agreement, Iran could transfer its highly enriched uranium to the United States.
Iran’s Supreme Leader has bannedthe transfer of enriched uranium.
