US Treasury Imposes New Sanctions on Iran, Citing Oil Smuggling Networks
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, the United States Treasury Department has officially declared the imposition of a new set of sanctions against Iran. The announcement, which cites reports from Al Jazeera via the Mehr News Agency, alleges that Iran utilizes specific networks, intermediaries, and channels for oil smuggling and evading sanctions.
A statement from the U.S. Treasury Department asserted, “We have identified the networks, intermediaries, and channels that Iran uses to smuggle oil and circumvent sanctions. In cooperation with government agencies and our allies, we are targeting any source of illegal revenue for the Iranian regime.” The department further warned against any trade with Iran and broadened actions against entities and parties engaging with Tehran, claiming, “We are committed to cutting off all remaining economic lifelines to Tehran and ending the threat posed by the Iranian regime once and for all.” The U.S. Treasury also alleged that Iran employs shadow banking networks for money laundering, arms purchases, and financing its regional proxies.
This action is described as one of the initial steps by the Trump administration to implement its threat of economic pressure on Tehran. In response to the U.S. administration’s moves to advance economic terrorism, Ismail Baghaei, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that Washington’s policy toward Iran has become akin to a true comedy. Additionally, The Washington Post reported on the new strategy of the Donald Trump administration against Iran, suggesting that after six months of fruitless attacks and failed attempts to reach an agreement, the U.S. is moving towards the economic isolation of Iran. However, the newspaper noted that Iran’s extensive experience in circumventing sanctions, coupled with U.S. reliance on Chinese cooperation and the limitations of sanctions policy itself, could seriously impede the implementation of this strategy.
