US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo clarified on Thursday that Washington intends to continue its maximum pressure policy on Iran.
“Maximum pressure on the Iranian regime will continue until its behavior changes. Today we imposed sanctions against China, Hong Kong, and UAE-based entities for operating in Iran’s oil and petrochemical sectors,” Pompeo wrote on Twitter.
“If you facilitate this regime's activities, you will be sanctioned,” he added.
US President Donald Trump withdrew from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal in May of 2018 and reimposed sanctions on the Islamic Republic.
In response to the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal and its imposition of sanctions, Iran has scaled back its compliance with the 2015 deal.
Last month, the United States imposed new sanctions on Iran’s biggest airline and its shipping network.
More recently, Washington sanctioned Tehran after Iran launched ballistic missiles on Iraqi bases hosting US troops in retaliation for the elimination of General Qassem Soleimani.
Iran condemned those sanctions which target eight senior Iranian officials as well as companies in the steel and other sectors.