The announced the imposition of new sanctions against him a few hours after the first round of strikes, which according to Tehran took place in a “positive atmosphere”.
President Donald Trump “is committed to reducing the Iranian regime’s illicit oil and petrochemical exports as part of his administration’s maximum pressure campaign,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said in a statement.
“Instead of investing in the well-being of its own people and its crumbling infrastructure, the Iranian regime continues to fund destabilizing activities around the world and intensify its repression inside Iran,” he added.
US targets Iran’s shadow fleet and its oil trade
The new sanctions target 15 entities, two individuals and 14 shadow fleet vessels linked to the illicit oil trade, including vessels flying the flags of Turkey, India and the United Arab Emirates, the State Department said.
The US State Department’s announcement came after the Iranian and US delegations met in Muscat during which they agreed to “continue their negotiations”, according to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Washington freezes all assets held in the United States by individuals and entities subject to these sanctions.
They also prohibit any American company or citizen from doing business with them or face sanctions themselves.
