Middle East (Europe Brief News) – The Trump administration conducted a major sanctioning operation Wednesday against seven companies which supposedly support Iran’s petroleum and petrochemical transactions during negotiations scheduled for this weekend.
The move underscores Washington’s “maximum pressure” campaign despite fragile diplomatic efforts to curb Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
Sanctions Target Shadow Oil Network
Alarabiya news reported that, the U.S. Treasury Department fined five international petrochemical trading companies and two shipping companies outside Iran because both entities had engaged in the sales and transportation of Iranian petrochemicals to global markets.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio framed the sanctions as necessary to choke off funding for Iran’s regional activities, stating,
“So long as Iran attempts to generate oil and petrochemical revenues to fund its destabilizing activities, and support its terrorist activities and proxies, the United States will take steps to hold both Iran and all its partners engaged in sanctions evasion accountable,” .
The United States plans to impose economic sanctions on Iran only before their fourth diplomatic meeting in Rome this Saturday. Under the direction of Trump advisor Steve Witkoff, as a special envoy, the negotiations seek to create an agreement that would provide Iran relief from sanctions by limiting its nuclear program. Reports suggest this move seems strategically chosen for its purpose of increasing financial strain while maintaining productive discussions.
A Delicate Balancing Act
The sanctions support Trump’s economic isolation policy that started when he withdrew from the Obama-era nuclear agreement in 2018. Since imposing these harsh economic policies on Iran, including drastic cuts to oil exports, his administration allowed Chinese oil exports to continue even though the U.S. made threatening statements. The latest implementation indicates increased efforts to find and seal all potential loopholes in the measures.
