Body
The Trump administration imposed new sanctions on Iran ahead of renewed nuclear negotiations scheduled for Thursday in Geneva, as U.S. officials pursue a deal through mediation by Oman. The Treasury Department said the measures targeted people, companies and ships accused of supporting Iran’s ballistic missile and drone programs and of participating in illicit oil sales.
According to the Treasury Department, the latest action under the Office of Foreign Assets Control affects 30 entities, including maritime and aviation-related firms. The sanctions come as the Trump administration has massed the largest U.S. buildup of warships and aircraft in the region in decades and has threatened military action to push Iran toward constraining its nuclear program.
The sanctions include designations of ships the Treasury accused of being part of Iran’s “shadow fleet,” which the Treasury described as rusting oil tankers used for smuggling oil to countries facing stiff sanctions. The Treasury also targeted drone manufacturing firms, including Qods Aviation Industries, saying the company has supplied drones “to all branches of the Iranian military and buyers in Africa and Latin America.”
The Treasury said the sanctions deny targeted people and businesses access to any property or financial assets held in the United States and prevent U.S. companies and citizens from doing business with them. The administration also said the measures are intended to increase pressure, even as the Treasury acknowledged that many of the designated targets may not hold funds with U.S. institutions.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement that “Treasury will continue to put maximum pressure on Iran to target the regime’s weapons capabilities and support for terrorism, which it has prioritized over the lives of the Iranian people.” U.S. officials have said they want Iran to curb both its nuclear efforts and its weapons-related activities before or during upcoming talks.
The AP report said the latest round of talks involves U.S. officials, including envoy Steve Witkoff, and Iranian negotiators via Oman, with meetings in Geneva planned for Thursday. U.S. officials have linked the negotiating timeline to pressure that includes military action; they cited strikes in June on three Iranian nuclear sites.
Trump and other top administration officials have said Iran cannot be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon. Trump said during his State of the Union address Tuesday night, “We are in negotiations with them. They want to make a deal, but we haven’t heard those secret words: We will never have a nuclear weapon.” The report also said Iran has maintained that its nuclear program is peaceful and that it had enriched uranium up to 60% purity prior to the June attack, which it described as a short step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%.