The United States has expanded its sanctions against the Iranian oil sector and petrochemical industry in response to what the country has done at the beginning of this month, a missile attack against Israel, reported Reuters, quoted by BTA, referring to the administration of President Joe Biden.
To this end, it has updated the text of a decree targeting key sectors of Iran's economy to deprive it of funds to develop its nuclear and missile programs.
„The new (sanctions) also include measures against the ``ghost fleet'' that illegally transports Iranian oil to buyers around the world,'' White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said in a statement released yesterday. He added that "these measures will help further deprive Iran of financial resources used to support its missile programs and provide support for terrorist groups that threaten the United States and its allies and partners.
Israel has vowed to respond to the missile attack that Iran launched on October 1 in retaliation for the killing of the leaders of two movements it supports - the Palestinian "Hamas" and "Hezbollah" in Lebanon. US President Joe Biden called on Israel not to attack Iranian oil fields - something that Arab countries in the Persian Gulf region, which are worried about the security of their own deposits in the event of an escalation of the conflict, are also lobbying for, Reuters notes.
The US Treasury Department said in a statement that the Biden administration can now impose sanctions on anyone who decides to work in Iran's oil sector. The blacklist includes 16 companies and 17 ships transporting Iranian oil.
At the same time, the US State Department has taken steps to cut off cash flows to support Iran's weapons programs and its "terrorist proxies and partners". He blacklisted six companies and as many ships.
Iran's oil exports have increased during the Biden administration, with the Islamic Republic managing to circumvent sanctions and, in addition, China has become the main buyer of the crude with a share of nearly 90 percent, Reuters notes.