WASHINGTON, Sept 29 (Reuters) – The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on companies it accused of involvement in Iran’s petrochemical and oil trade, including five based in China, putting pressure on Tehran as seeks to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
Washington has increasingly targeted Chinese companies for exporting Iranian petrochemicals as prospects for reviving the nuclear pact have faded. The indirect talks on the agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), failed.
“As long as Iran refuses a mutual return to full implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the United States will continue to enforce its sanctions on the sale of Iranian petroleum and petrochemical products,” the deputy said. Treasury Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Brian. Nelson said in a statement.
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Iran’s mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a separate statement that the State Department has designated two China-based companies, Zhonggu Storage and Transportation Co Ltd and WS Shipping Co Ltd.
Blinken accused Zhonggu Storage and Transportation Co Ltd of operating a commercial crude oil storage facility for Iranian oil and WS Shipping Co Ltd of being the manager of a vessel that transported Iranian petroleum products.
Reuters could not immediately reach the two companies for comment.
The US Treasury Department also imposed sanctions on a network of companies involved in what it said was selling hundreds of millions of dollars of Iranian petrochemicals and petroleum products to South and East Asia.
The action targeted Iranian brokers and front companies in the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong and India, the Treasury said.
Washington has warned that it will continue to speed up enforcement of sanctions on Iran’s oil and petrochemical sales as long as Tehran continues to ramp up its nuclear program.
A PARALYZED ECONOMY
The 2015 nuclear deal limited Iran’s uranium enrichment activity to make it harder for Tehran to develop nuclear weapons, in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions.
But then-US President Donald Trump scrapped the deal in 2018, saying it was not doing enough to curb Iran’s nuclear activities, ballistic missile program and regional influence. , and reimposed sanctions that have crippled the Iranian economy.
“These coercive actions will continue steadily, with the aim of severely restricting Iran’s oil and petrochemical exports,” Blinken said.
Anyone involved in such sales and transactions must stop immediately if they wish to avoid being subject to US sanctions, he said.
In Thursday’s action, the Treasury targeted several companies it accuses of dealing with Hong Kong-based Triliance Petrochemical Co Ltd, which has already been sanctioned by the United States.
He said India-based petrochemical company Tibalaji Petrochem Private Limited bought millions of dollars worth of Triliance-traded products to ship to China.
The Treasury also accused Clara Shipping LLC, based in the United Arab Emirates, of having been paid millions of dollars by Triliance – through shell companies – in transport costs for shipping Iranian petrochemicals and petroleum products to East Asia.
Iran Chemical Industries Investment Company and Middle East Kimiya Pars Co, based in Hong Kong, Sierra Vista Trading Limited, and Virgo Marine, based in the United Arab Emirates, have also been designated for relations with Triliance.
Hong Kong-based Sophychem HK Limited and ML Holding Group Limited have been appointed to deal with the US-designated Persian Gulf Petrochemical Industries Commercial Company, including the purchase of Iranian petrochemicals for shipment to China and Singapore.
Reuters was unable to immediately reach the companies for comment.
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Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis, Steve Holland and Simon Lewis; edited by Grant McCool
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