The United States on Monday imposed sanctions on Chinese and other firms it said helped to sell tens of millions of dollars in Iranian oil and petrochemical products to East Asia.
The US Treasury and the State Department imposed sanctions on a total of six companies, four based in Hong Kong, one in Singapore, and one in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in actions that were announced in separate statements, according to Reuters.
The Treasury accused Persian Gulf Petrochemical Industry Commercial Co. (PGPICC), one of Iran's largest petrochemical brokers, of using the firms to facilitate the sale of Iranian petroleum and petrochemical products to East Asia.
The Treasury targeted UAE-based Blue Cactus Heavy Equipment and Machinery Spare Parts Trading L.L.C., which it said helped sell millions of dollars of Iranian-origin petroleum products to Hong Kong-based Triliance Petrochemical Co. Ltd., which has previously been sanctioned by the United States.
It also targeted Hong Kong-based Farwell Canyon HK Limited and Shekufei International Trading Co., Limited for facilitating such sales for onward shipment to buyers in East Asia.
Separately, the State Department sanctioned Singapore-based Pioneer Ship Management PTE LTD for allegedly managing a vessel that carried Iranian petroleum products and Hong Kong-based Golden Warrior Shipping, Co. Ltd., for alleged transactions related to Iranian oil and petroleum products.
The actions freeze US-based assets and generally bar Americans from dealing with them. Others that engage in certain transactions with the targeted firms also risk being sanctioned.
The US has continued to impose Iran-related sanctions even as it has held talks with the Islamic Republic on a return to the 2015 nuclear deal.
In June, the US sanctioned a network of Iranian petrochemical firms, as well as alleged front companies in China and the United Arab Emirates, accusing them of helping Tehran to circumvent sanctions.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi criticized those sanctions, saying, "I am surprised (by the behavior) of the Americans. On the one hand, they send a message in favor of negotiations and agreement, and on the other hand, they lengthen the list of sanctions."
"I don't understand how this works," the Iranian President said. "The world must give us the right not to trust the United States because they are violating their agreements."
The steps represent the third round of U.S. Iran-related sanctions against Chinese firms in the last two months.
"The United States continues to pursue the path of diplomacy to achieve a mutual return to full implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action," the Treasury's Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Brian Nelson, said in Monday’s statement, referring to the 2015 deal by its formal name.
"Until such time as Iran is ready to return to full implementation of its commitments, we will continue to enforce sanctions on the illicit sale of Iranian petroleum and petrochemicals."
Iran scaled back its compliance with the 2015 deal, in response to former US President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the agreement in May of 2018, but has held several rounds of indirect talks with the US on a return to the agreement.
An agreement was nearly reached before the talks stopped in March. Last week, however, EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said he had proposed a new draft text to revive the 2015 deal.
Iran’s Foreign Minister later said his country welcomed diplomatic efforts to revive its 2015 nuclear pact with major powers.
US State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters that Washington was reviewing the "draft understanding" Borrell shared with Iran and other parties to the 2015 deal and would respond directly to the EU.