The United States has imposed fresh sanctions on Iran’s oil trade, targeting 15 entities and 14 vessels linked to what Washington described as illicit exports of petroleum and petrochemical products. The move came just hours after indirect nuclear talks between the US and Iran concluded in Oman. American officials said the measures are part of a renewed “maximum pressure” campaign, even as both sides signalled cautious engagement following the latest round of diplomacy.
14 Vessels & 15 Firms Targeted
Announcing the action on Friday, the US State Department said it would block transactions involving 14 vessels allegedly used to transport Iranian oil, including ships flagged in Turkiye and India. Sanctions were also imposed on 15 entities and two individuals accused of facilitating Iran’s petroleum, petroleum products and petrochemical exports.
State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said Iran uses oil revenues to “fund destabilising activities around the world and step up repression at home”. He added that President Donald Trump remains committed to driving down Iran’s exports under Washington’s maximum pressure strategy.
Sanctions Follow Talks In Oman
The announcement came shortly after indirect discussions in Muscat between Iranian officials and senior US envoys on Tehran’s nuclear programme. Iran’s foreign minister said the talks were held in a “positive atmosphere”, though no breakthrough was announced.
The diplomatic engagement follows months of heightened tension, including US threats of force and a build-up of American military assets near Iran’s coastline. Washington said the new sanctions are intended to disrupt what it calls Iran’s “shadow fleet”, a network of vessels and front companies used to evade restrictions on oil shipments.
Despite the parallel tracks of diplomacy and pressure, US officials made clear that economic coercion would continue alongside talks. Analysts say the timing of the measures underscores the Biden-era playbook’s successor: engaging Tehran at the negotiating table while tightening enforcement on energy exports.
