US issues first wave of Iran sanctions after ceasefire in 12-day war

Washington imposes fiscal penalties connected an Iraqi businessman who it says helped smuggle Iranian oil.

Washington, DC – The United States has issued a caller question of sanctions against Iranian lipid exports, the archetypal penalties against Tehran’s vigor assemblage since a Washington-backed ceasefire betwixt Israel and Iran came into effect past month.

Among those targeted by the sanctions announced connected Thursday are Iraqi businessman Salim Ahmed Said and his United Arab Emirates-based company, which the US accused of smuggling Iranian lipid by blending it with Iraqi oil.

“Iran’s behaviour has near it decimated. While it has had each accidental to take peace, its leaders person chosen extremism,” US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said successful a statement.

“Treasury volition proceed to people Tehran’s gross sources and intensify economic pressure to disrupt the regime’s entree to the fiscal resources that substance its destabilizing activities.”

After the ceasefire was reached connected June 24, US President Donald Trump said China could bargain Iranian oil, suggesting the US mightiness assistance its sanctions connected Tehran’s vigor exports.

But the committedness was short-lived. Trump wrote successful a societal media station past week that helium “immediately dropped each enactment connected authorisation relief” successful effect to statements by Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei claiming triumph implicit Israel.

The US president besides said helium stopped Israel from assassinating Khamenei, redeeming him from a “VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINIOUS DEATH”.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz had said Israel sought to kill Khamenei but determination was “no operational opportunity” for the assassination.

Israel launched aerial strikes against Iran without nonstop provocation connected June 13, sidesplitting hundreds of Iranians, including civilians and apical subject officials.

The US joined the Israeli run and attacked 3 Iranian nuclear sites. Iran responded with rocket strikes against Israel and an onslaught connected an airbase lodging US soldiers successful Qatar.

Trump claimed the US aerial raids “obliterated” Iran’s atomic facilities.

On Wednesday, the Pentagon said the US bombing cognition acceptable backmost Iran’s atomic programme by one to 2 years.

But it is not wide wherever Iran’s stockpiles of highly enriched uranium are.

The state passed a instrumentality past period to suspend practice with the UN atomic watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), implicit the agency’s nonaccomplishment to condemn the US and Israeli attacks.

The determination has sparked rebukes by the US and respective European countries.

On Thursday, Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei suggested Iran is successful indirect interaction with the US – done Oman and Qatar – to find a diplomatic solution to the crisis.

“Diplomacy indispensable not beryllium abused oregon utilized arsenic a instrumentality for deception oregon for simply a benignant of intelligence warfare against their adversaries,” Baghaei told Sky News.

He added that Tehran feels its diplomatic efforts person been “betrayed”.

Hours earlier Israel started the warfare past month, Trump reiterated a US committedness to diplomacy.

And days earlier the US attacks, helium said helium would marque a determination connected joining the warfare wrong 2 weeks to let talks betwixt Iran and European powers.