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President Trump announced on Thursday that any purchasers of Iranian oil would face secondary sanctions. In a Truth Social post, Trump said such purchasers would be barred from doing business with the United States.
“ALERT: All purchases of Iranian Oil, or Petrochemical products, must stop, NOW! Any Country or person who buys ANY AMOUNT of OIL or PETROCHEMICALS from Iran will be subject to, immediately, Secondary Sanctions,” Trump said. “They will not be allowed to do business with the United States of America in any way, shape, or form. Thank you for your attention to this matter, PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP.”
The announcement comes amid the Trump administration’s efforts to negotiate a deal with Iran over its nuclear program.
On Wednesday, the U.S. State Department issued a statement announcing the imposition of sanctions on seven entities involved in the trade of Iranian petroleum products. According to the State Department, Iran “continues to fuel conflict in the Middle East, advance its nuclear program, and support its terrorist partners and proxies.” The sanctions imposed by the U.S. are intended to “stem the flow of revenue that the regime uses to fund these destabilizing activities.”
In February, Trump issued a directive for federal agencies to exert economic pressure on Iran to curb its progress towards the development of nuclear weapons and encourage diplomacy.
Trump further sought to achieve diplomatic relations with Iran earlier this month by postponing an Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities. After delaying the attack, Trump stated his hope that Iran would be willing to engage in negotiations but stressed his willingness to be firm in limiting the country’s nuclear advancement.