The United States has intensified its crackdown on Iranian oil exports, with President Donald Trump declaring that all purchases of Iranian oil and petrochemical products must cease immediately.
In a stark warning, Trump announced that “any country or person who buys any amount of oil or petrochemicals from Iran will be subject to, immediately, secondary sanctions.
“They will not be allowed to do business with the United States of America in any way, shape, or form,” according to a statement posted on Truth Social.
This escalation follows the postponement of nuclear program talks with Iran, which were originally scheduled for Saturday but have been delayed without a new date, as confirmed by a senior Iranian official.
The Trump administration has reinstated its “maximum pressure” campaign, aiming to reduce Iran’s oil exports to zero and prevent the development of a nuclear weapon.
Recent US actions include sanctions on a China-based crude oil storage terminal and an independent refiner accused of illicit oil and petrochemical trade.
Secondary sanctions, a powerful economic tool, allow the US to penalise foreign entities trading with targeted nations by denying them access to the US market.
Analysts note that to significantly curb Iran’s oil exports, the US would likely need to target entities such as Chinese banks that facilitate these transactions, as China remains the largest buyer of Iranian crude oil.
The renewed sanctions come amid shifting geopolitical dynamics, with reports that Russia and Iran have reached a preliminary agreement for annual gas supplies and that Russia has agreed to finance a new nuclear power plant in Iran.
Meanwhile, the US continues to sanction entities and vessels involved in Iran’s petroleum trade, aiming to limit Tehran’s funding for regional destabilisation activities.
