The United States has imposed the first batch of sanctions against Iran since Donald Trump’s return to the White House, as the president pushes to reimpose “maximum pressure” on Tehran.
The US Treasury announced the sanctions on Thursday, saying that they are aimed at Iran’s “oil network”.
The measures targeted firms, ships and individuals affiliated with companies already sanctioned by the US. Under former President Joe Biden, the US routinely issued such penalties to enforce existing sanctions.
Iran has long rejected sanctions against its oil sector and efforts to confiscate its exports as “piracy”.
The Treasury said the sanctions include “entities and individuals in multiple jurisdictions”, including China, India and the United Arab Emirates.
Thursday’s action comes two days after Trump signed an executive order to revive his pressure campaign against Iran, which he started during his first term after nixing an international deal with Tehran in 2018.
Despite the renewed pressure campaign, Trump has kept the door open for diplomacy with Tehran, saying that he is willing to reach out to Iranian officials.
“I want Iran to be a great and successful country, but one that cannot have a nuclear weapon,” the US president told reporters on Tuesday.