US Imposes New Sanctions on Iran Ahead of Next Nuclear Negotiations

 

US Imposes New Sanctions on Iran Ahead of Next Nuclear Negotiations

The United States announced fresh sanctions on Wednesday targeting several entities believed to be involved in the illicit trade of Iranian petroleum and petrochemicals. These measures come just days before a scheduled round of negotiations with Iran on its nuclear program, set to take place in Rome this Saturday.

The U.S. State Department stated that sanctions were imposed on seven entities based in the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and Iran, as well as two vessels. Secretary of State Marco Rubio highlighted that the sanctions specifically target four sellers and one buyer involved in trading Iranian petrochemicals worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

This move continues the aggressive "maximum pressure" campaign initiated by former President Donald Trump, which aimed to cripple Iran’s oil exports and curb its nuclear ambitions. Rubio emphasized that the goal is to bring Iran’s illicit oil and petrochemical exports—including those to China—down to zero.

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Iran has not yet responded publicly to the latest sanctions. The US’ targeted actions coincide with renewed diplomatic efforts, as American and Iranian negotiators prepare to reconvene in Rome to discuss the future of Iran’s nuclear program.

Since the US withdrew from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal in 2018 under President Trump—reimposing broad sanctions—Iran has significantly exceeded the deal’s limits on uranium enrichment. Western nations continue to accuse Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons capability through clandestine activities, while Tehran insists its nuclear program is for civilian energy purposes.