Trump targets Iranian oil with sanctions, increasing pressure on Islamic Republic to make deal on nukes

The Trump medication connected Thursday targeted Iranian lipid with a caller slate of sanctions – a determination that increases unit connected the Islamic Republic amid talks betwixt U.S. and Iranian officials to marque a woody to forestall nuclear proliferation, Fox News Digital has learned. 

The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control accrued unit connected Iran’s export of lipid Thursday, designating the "teapot" refinery Hebei Xinhai Chemical Group Co., Ltd., and 3 larboard terminal operators successful Shandong province, China, for their relation successful purchasing oregon facilitating the transportation of hundreds of millions of dollars’ worthy of Iranian oil. 

VANCE PREVIEWS US-IRAN NUCLEAR TALKS, SAYS TRUMP 'OPEN' TO SITTING DOWN WITH RUSSIANS, CHINESE IN FUTURE

The "teapot" refineries acquisition the bulk of Iranian crude lipid exports, according to the Treasury Department. 

The Treasury Department connected Thursday is besides imposing sanctions connected respective companies, vessels and captains they accidental are liable for facilitating Iranian lipid shipments arsenic portion of Iran’s alleged "shadow fleet." The companies and vessels are each China-based. 

This photograph released connected Nov. 5, 2019, by the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran shows centrifuge machines successful the Natanz uranium enrichment installation successful cardinal Iran. (Atomic Energy Organization of Iran via AP, File)

"As portion of President Trump’s wide and assertive maximum unit campaign, Treasury contiguous is targeting different teapot refinery that imported Iranian oil," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said. "The United States remains resolved to intensify unit connected each elements of Iran’s lipid proviso concatenation to forestall the authorities from generating gross to further its destabilizing agenda."

The sanctions travel pursuing President Donald Trump’s enforcement order, which targets Iran’s petroleum and petrochemical sectors – arsenic good arsenic different enforcement bid targeting those that supply enactment to the National Iranian Oil Company. 

The Treasury Department, led by Scott Bessent, is besides imposing sanctions connected respective companies, vessels and captains they accidental are liable for facilitating Iranian lipid shipments arsenic portion of Iran’s alleged "shadow fleet." (Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Thursday’s sanctions are the latest circular targeting Iranian lipid income since the president, successful aboriginal February, issued a nationalist information memorandum that instituted a run of "maximum economical unit connected Iran." 

As for Iran’s "shadow fleet," Tehran relies connected obscure vessel absorption companies to negociate its fleet of tankers that "mask" Iran’s petroleum shipments to China utilizing ship-to-ship transfers with sanctioned vessels. 

The Treasury Department connected Thursday took enactment to summation unit connected that "shadow fleet" of actors by designating ships arsenic "blocked property."

Any usurpation of U.S. sanctions whitethorn effect successful the imposition of civilian oregon transgression penalties connected U.S. oregon overseas persons, the Treasury Department said. 

The imposition of sanctions comes arsenic the United States and Iran hole for a 4th circular of atomic talks. U.S. and Iranian officials are acceptable for the adjacent circular of talks to instrumentality spot successful Oman successful the coming days. 

TRUMP TEASES 'VERY, VERY BIG ANNOUNCEMENT' AHEAD OF MIDDLE EAST TRIP, CARNEY SAYS HE'S 'ON EDGE OF MY SEAT'

Trump is scheduled to question to the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Vice President JD Vance precocious previewed the adjacent circular of talks, saying Wednesday the U.S. was negotiating toward a "complete cessation" of Tehran's atomic program. 

The Trump medication has said the flawed 2015 Obama-era Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), besides known arsenic the Iran atomic feal, did not forestall Iran from gathering an atomic bomb, with Vance adding that the statement had "incredibly weak" enforcement regarding inspections. 

Vice President JD Vance precocious previewed the adjacent circular of talks, saying May 7, 2025, the U.S. was negotiating toward a "complete cessation" of Tehran's atomic program. (Niall Carson/PA Images via Getty Images)

Vance said helium didn’t judge it "actually served the relation of preventing the Iranians from getting connected the pathway to atomic weapons."  

Vance besides said the Trump medication believes that determination were immoderate elements of the Iranian atomic programme that were really "preserved" nether the JCPOA. 

"Yes, determination weren't atomic weapons. Iran doesn't person a atomic weapon," Vance said, arguing the woody "allowed Iran to benignant of enactment connected this glide way toward a atomic limb if they flip the power and property go." 

"We deliberation that determination is simply a woody present that would reintegrate Iran into the planetary economy," Vance said up of the talks. "That would beryllium truly bully for the Iranian people, but would effect successful the implicit cessation of immoderate accidental that they tin get a atomic weapon. And that's what we're negotiating toward. And arsenic the president has said, that's Option A." 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

If Option A is "very bully for the Iranian people," Vance said, past Option B "is precise bad." 

"It's precise atrocious for everybody," Vance said. "And it's not what we want, but it's amended than Option C, which is Iran getting a atomic weapon. That is what is wholly disconnected the array for the American administration. No ifs, ands oregon buts." 

As for Trump, helium said during a caller interrogation connected NBC’s "Meet the Press" that helium would lone judge "total dismantlement" of Iran's atomic program.