US imposes sanctions on Iranian oil minister and entities in latest pressure move

(AFP): The US Treasury Department on Thursday issued sanctions against Iranian Petroleum Minister Mohsen Paknejad, the latest move in President Donald Trump's drive to exert "maximum pressure" on Tehran.

The sanctions also designated three entities engaged in the Iranian oil trade in China, and named three shipping vessels as blocked property for their use in the transactions.

"The Iranian regime continues to use the proceeds from the nation's vast oil resources to advance its narrow, alarming self-interests at the expense of the Iranian people," US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement.

Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has called for a new nuclear deal with Tehran while reinstating his "maximum pressure" policy of sanctions.

"Treasury will fight and disrupt any attempts by the regime to fund its destabilizing activities and further its dangerous agenda," said Bessent. The identified vessels were used to transfer Iranian crude oil off the coast of Nipa, Indonesia, on December 25, 2024, according to the State Department.