The United States announced fresh sanctions on Tuesday against Iranian businessman Seyed Asadoollah Emamjomeh and a network of companies linked to him, citing their involvement in exporting substantial volumes of Iranian liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and crude oil, Reuters reported.
The US Treasury Department said these exports are a major financial pipeline for Iran’s military and nuclear activities.
According to the Treasury’s statement, Emamjomeh's commercial network has facilitated the shipment of hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of petroleum products to overseas buyers, contributing significantly to Iran's coffers. These revenues, officials say, support not only Iran’s nuclear and weapons development programs but also a range of regional proxy groups including Hezbollah, the Houthis in Yemen, and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
“Emamjomeh and his network sought to export thousands of shipments of LPG -- including from the United States -- to evade U.S. sanctions and generate revenue for Iran,” said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
The sanctions were unveiled just days after a second round of indirect discussions between Iranian and American representatives on Iran’s nuclear program. The talks were held in Rome this past Saturday, after a first round in Oman.
Both rounds of dialogue have been described by involved parties as “constructive.”
Even during the talks, President Donald Trump has maintained his “maximum pressure” strategy on Iran and has imposed sanctions on the Islamic Republic.
Two weeks ago, Trump said that, if military action is required to thwart Iran’s nuclear program, Israel will be involved and even lead the effort.
“With Iran, if it requires military, we’re going to have military. Israel will be the leader of that. But nobody leads us, we do what we want to do,” Trump told reporters at the Oval Office.
Asked what his deadline would be for Iran to reach a deal, the President replied, “I can’t really be specific, but when you start talks, you know if they’re going along well or not, and I would say the conclusion would be when I think they’re not going along well."
Previously, the US President warned Iran that "if they don't make a deal, there will be bombing — and it will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before."