The United States will put sanctions on any country that imports Iranian oil, and no exemptions are currently in place, US special envoy for Iran Brian Hook told reporters in London.
The Trump administration’s hard-line economic policy against the Islamic Republic continues in response to Tehran downing a US drone last week. After Trump announced new sanctions directly targeting the Iranian leadership on Monday, the US now says they will enforce penalties on those who violate previous restrictions as well.
Hook explicitly mentioned reports that Iran’s largest buyer, China, has received at least one shipment since its sanctions waiver was revoked, reiterating: “We will sanction any illicit purchases of Iranian crude oil.”
Although the recent outbreak of hostilities began with Trump’s decision to pull out of the deal agreed by his predecessor, Hook told reporters that it was Iran who had “rejected diplomacy too many times.”