President Donald Trump warned on his social media platform, Truth Social, that any country purchasing oil or petrochemical products from Iran would be subject to secondary sanctions.
Although this directive has not yet been formalized through an executive order or a Treasury Department sanctions notice, it signals a significant escalation in the US's "maximum pressure" policy on Iran.
The primary buyer of Iranian oil is China, and the move could deal a serious blow to its economy and further exacerbate the trade war with the US.
Since Trump took office, Iranian oil exports have dropped. This latest move could deliver a final blow to the struggling Iranian economy, which is already buckling under the weight of existing sanctions.
On Thursday afternoon, Reuters reported, citing an informed source, that the next round of nuclear negotiations between the US and Iran will be held at a later date, but not this coming Saturday.
An Iranian source told Reuters that the talks would be rescheduled "based on US actions." The source added that the American sanctions were not helping diplomatic efforts to resolve disagreements over the nuclear issue.
According to the report, Iran was the party that canceled the Saturday meeting between its representatives and the E3 forum, which is also focused on the nuclear program. "The reason for the cancellation is unknown," a European diplomat familiar with the matter told Israel Hayom.
On Wednesday, sources in Jerusalem said President Trump was expected to extend the timeframe he had allocated for talks with Iran on a revised nuclear agreement.
Originally, Trump had set a two-month window to reach a deal. However, according to a senior Israeli official, that period is now expected to be extended, though not substantially. This is based on updates received by Israel.
