Amid ongoing nuclear negotiations, the United States has once again imposed new sanctions on Iran. On Wednesday (April 30), the U.S. administration announced sanctions against several companies accused of engaging in illegal petroleum and petrochemical trade with Iran, according to a report by Reuters.
The U.S. State Department stated that sanctions have been placed on seven companies based in the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and Iran for their involvement in petroleum trade with Iran. Additionally, two vessels have been included in the sanctions list.
In a separate statement, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said four sellers and one buyer involved in multi-billion dollar petroleum trade with Iran have been targeted by the new sanctions. He emphasized that this move aligns with former President Donald Trump’s “maximum pressure” policy. The U.S. administration remains committed to halting Iran’s illegal trade globally, including with China.
The Iranian mission in New York has not issued any response regarding the new sanctions.
Notably, multiple rounds of negotiations are currently ongoing between Washington and Tehran to regulate Iran’s nuclear activities. In continuation of these talks, U.S. officials are scheduled to meet with the Iranian delegation in Rome this Saturday—just days after announcing the new sanctions.
Since returning to power, President Trump has intensified efforts to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions. He maintains that Iran must be restrained either through force or a formal agreement to prevent the development of nuclear weapons.
Western countries allege that Iran has exceeded the permitted levels of uranium enrichment under the guise of its nuclear program, aiming to build nuclear weapons. Tehran, however, consistently denies the allegations and claims its nuclear program is strictly for peaceful purposes.