U.S. imposes another round of Iran-related sanctions amid nuclear deal negotiations

May 14 (UPI) -- The United States has imposed further Iran-related sanctions, arsenic the Trump medication negotiates with Tehran connected a caller atomic weapons deal.

The sanctions announced Tuesday by the U.S. Treasury people an Iranian lipid smuggling web the Trump medication accuses of generating billions of dollars for the Tehran regime's subject and proxy forces.

Fifteen beforehand companies, buyers and facilitators successful Hong Kong, mainland China, the Seychelles and Singapore were deed by the punitive measures, on with 52-year-old Iranian nationalist Mohammad Khorasani Niasari and 2 shipping vessels.

The secondary sanctions were levied owed to their links to Sepehr Energy Jahan Nama Pars Company, which the erstwhile Biden medication blacklisted successful November 2023 for overseeing the Iranian Armed Forces General Staff's web of beforehand companies that it uses to merchantability commodities, including oil, internationally -- funds that are utilized to further Iran's weapons and atomic programs and different destabilizing activities.

According to Treasury officials Sepehr Energy obfuscates the root of these lipid shipments done a bid of deals involving betwixt aggregate beforehand companies it owns. Some of the entities that were blacklisted Tuesday were established successful China and Hong Kong.

Among the tactics deployed to conceal the oil's Iranian root is the usage of ship-to-ship transfers astatine oversea earlier the cargo reaches China. Once successful the country, Sepehr Energy relies connected complicit section agencies consenting to assistance their sanctioned sales.

Khorasani is simply a fiscal inspector for Sepehr Energy and its affiliates and was sanctioned Tuesday for helping to negociate the Iranian Armed Forces General Staff's transactions.

"As agelong arsenic Iran devotes its illicit revenues to backing attacks connected the United States and our allies, supporting coercion astir the satellite and pursuing different destabilizing actions, we volition proceed to usage each the tools astatine our disposal to clasp the authorities accountable," State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said successful a statement.

The sanctions are the latest the Trump medication has imposed since aboriginal February erstwhile President Donald Trump resumed his alleged maximum unit argumentation from his archetypal word -- an effort that failed to coerce Iran into returning to the negotiating array for a caller atomic weapons deal.

During his archetypal word successful office, Trump imposed sanctions against Iran and unilaterally withdrew the United States from a landmark Obama-era multinational atomic accord aimed astatine preventing Iran from acquiring a atomic weapon.

Trump applied his maximum unit run of sanctions and governmental unit to unit Tehran to negociate a caller woody helium believed would beryllium better. Instead, the Middle Eastern state ignored its obligations nether the accord and escalated its atomic weapons programme to the constituent wherever the U.S. authorities estimates Iran could request arsenic small arsenic a week to nutrient capable weapons-grade uranium for a azygous atomic bomb.

However, talks astir a caller atomic woody betwixt the 2 countries person resumed during the Trump's 2nd term, with State Department lawman spokesperson Tommy Pigott telling reporters successful astatine a Washington press conference connected Tuesday that the negotiations "continue to amusement progress."

There person been 4 rounds of informal talks with the 5th circular yet to beryllium scheduled.

Trump, speaking successful Saudi Arabia connected Tuesday, called connected Iran to wantonness its atomic ambitions and judge "a overmuch amended way toward a acold amended and much hopeful future" oregon expect consequences. The United States nether medication of some Democrats and Republicans person said they volition not licence Iran to get a atomic weapon.

"I privation to marque a woody with Iran," Trump said. "This is an connection that volition not past forever. The clip is close present to choose. We don't person a batch of clip to wait."

The Trump medication is demanding that Iran discontinue its uranium enrichment programme and dismantle its facilities. Iran has said it volition not compromise connected its enrichment capabilities.

On Monday, aft the United States blacklisted 3 Iranians and a related exertion steadfast progressive successful atomic weapons research, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Majid Takht-Ravanchi suggested determination was a anticipation of negotiating connected its enrichment allotments.

For a constricted play of time, we tin judge a bid of restrictions connected the level and measurement of enrichment," helium said, state-run Press TV reported.

"We person not yet gone into details astir the level and measurement of enrichment."

According to the Treasury, since Trump announced the resumption of his maximum unit campaign, the United States has sanctioned 253 individuals, entities and vessels related to Iran and its proxies.