The United States has imposed new sanctions on organizations it accuses of participating in the illegal trade in Iranian oil and petrochemicals, Reuters reports, News.bg reports.
The measure comes days before the upcoming round of talks between Washington and Tehran, scheduled for Saturday, and is part of the US strategy to increase pressure on Iran.
The US State Department announced that it is sanctioning seven companies based in the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Iran, which are suspected of participating in the trade in Iranian oil and petrochemical products. Two vessels used in these activities also fall under the sanctions.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio specified that the sanctions are aimed at four sellers and one buyer of Iranian petrochemicals worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
"The president is committed to reducing Iran's illicit exports of oil and petrochemicals - including shipments to China - to zero as part of the maximum pressure campaign," Rubio said.
The move is part of the ongoing strategy of former President Donald Trump, who during his first term (2017-2021) withdrew the United States from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and reimposed broad sanctions on Tehran. The deal set limits on Iran's nuclear program in exchange for relief from international sanctions.
Since the U.S. withdrawal from the deal, Iran has significantly exceeded agreed limits on uranium enrichment. Western powers suspect Tehran is developing nuclear weapons under the guise of a civilian nuclear program - accusations that Iran strongly denies, insisting that its nuclear activities are entirely peaceful.