LONDON: The United States will sanction any country that imports Iranian oil and there are no exemptions in place, the US special envoy for Iran said on Friday.
US President Donald Trump targeted Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top Iranian officials with sanctions on Monday, taking an unprecedented step to increase pressure on Iran after Tehran’s downing of an unmanned American drone last week.
“We will sanction any imports of Iranian crude oil,” Brian Hook said when asked about the sale of Iranian crude to Asia, adding that the United States would take a look at reports of Iranian crude going to China.
“There are right now no oil waivers in place,” Hook told reporters in London. “We will sanction any illicit purchases of Iranian crude oil.”
Tehran has been selling increased volumes of petrochemical products at below market rates in countries including Brazil, China and India since the United States reimposed sanctions on Iranian oil exports in November, Reuters reported this month.
“Iran does have a history of using front companies to evade sanctions and enrich the regime and fund its foreign adventurism,” Hook said, adding that Iran routinely violates maritime law to hide its oil exports.
Last year, Trump pulled the United States out of the multinational deal under which sanctions on Iran were lifted in return for curbs on its nuclear program, verified by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Washington has since re-imposed tough sanctions on Iran, aiming to cut the Islamic Republic’s oil sales to zero to force it to negotiate a broader deal that would also cover its ballistic missile capabilities and regional influence.
Iran wants to sell its oil at the same levels that it did before Washington withdrew from the accord.
“Iran has just rejected diplomacy too many times,” Hook said. “They have got to stop this sectarian agenda of creating a Shia corridor of power to dominate the Middle East.”
“This is a clerical regime that wants to remake the Middle East in its image — and that would deeply destabilize the Middle East to have regimes following the same Marxist theocratic regime,” he added.
US will sanction any countries that import Iranian oil
US will sanction any countries that import Iranian oil
- US President Donald Trump targeted Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top Iranian officials with sanctions on Monday
- Tehran has been selling increased volumes of petrochemical products at below market rates in countries including Brazil, China and India
Gaza mourns victims as bodies arrive at Al-Shifa hospital
GAZA: Palestinians gathered at Gaza City’s Al-Shifa hospital on Tuesday to mourn loved ones killed in recent Israeli strikes on Gaza.
Four bodies were brought to the hospital from the Tuffah neighborhood following reported Israeli attacks.
Medical sources said the victims were killed in separate incidents in northern Gaza.
The Israeli military said it was not aware of any operations in northern Gaza on Tuesday.
More than 480 Palestinians have been killed by Israel since the October ceasefire, amid repeated accusations of violations.
Under a US-brokered ceasefire that came into effect on October 10, Israeli forces have withdrawn to positions behind a so-called "Yellow Line" in Gaza, though they remain in control of more than half of the territory.
"Following the identification, the (Israeli air force) struck and eliminated the terrorists in order to remove the threat," the military said.
Media restrictions in Gaza and limited access to many areas mean AFP cannot independently verify casualty figures and details provided by either side.
The ceasefire has largely halted fighting between Israel and Hamas, but both sides have accused each other of violating its terms.
With agencies
