The United States announced fresh sanctions on Friday, February 6, targeting Iran’s oil exports shortly after Washington and Tehran wrapped up a round of indirect talks in Oman.
According to State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott, Iran uses revenue from oil sales to finance “destabilising activities around the world” and to step up internal repression.
Pigott said U.S. President Donald Trump remains focused on reducing what the administration calls Iran’s illicit oil and petrochemical exports as part of its maximum pressure strategy.
The State Department said the new sanctions block transactions linked to 14 vessels accused of transporting Iranian oil, including ships flagged in Turkey, India and the United Arab Emirates. In addition, 15 entities and two individuals were sanctioned.
The U.S. has enforced restrictions on Iran’s oil sector since Trump’s first term, pressuring other countries to stop buying Iranian crude.
The latest move comes as Iran’s foreign minister held indirect discussions with senior U.S. envoys in Oman on Friday over Tehran’s nuclear programme, describing the talks as taking place in a “positive atmosphere.”
The talks followed a period of heightened tensions marked by Iran’s violent crackdown on major protests, the largest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Trump has previously warned of possible military action against Iran and increased the U.S. military presence near the country.
