The Trump administration imposed new sanctions on Iranian entities after talks in Oman ended without agreement on Tehran’s enrichment program, though both sides signaled interest in further discussions.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Iran declined U.S. demands to halt uranium enrichment during high-level nuclear talks held Friday in Oman, prompting the Trump administration to announce a new round of sanctions targeting what it described as revenue streams funding the Islamic Republic’s destabilizing activities.
The State Department said it was sanctioning 15 Iranian entities, two individuals, and 14 shadow fleet vessels tied to the illicit trade in Iranian petroleum and petrochemical products. In a news release, the department said the targets “have generated revenue that the regime uses to conduct its malign activities.”
“Instead of investing in the welfare of its own people and crumbling infrastructure, the Iranian regime continues to fund destabilizing activities around the world and step up its repression inside Iran,” the statement said. “So long as [the] Iranian regime attempts to evade sanctions and generate oil and petrochemical revenues to fund such oppressive behavior and support terrorist activities and proxies, the United States will act to hold both the Iranian regime and its partners accountable.”
U.S. and Iranian officials had initially planned to meet Friday in Istanbul, with several Middle Eastern countries expected to attend as observers. Iran requested earlier in the week that the talks be moved to Oman and conducted strictly on a bilateral basis. The sides did not meet directly and instead held alternating discussions through Omani intermediaries, The Wall Street Journal reported. People familiar with the discussions told the newspaper that neither side shifted significantly from its opening positions.
The U.S. delegation included special envoy Steve Witkoff, White House adviser Jared Kushner, and Navy Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command. Iran’s team was led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and included his deputies Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Kazem Gharibabadi, and Hamid Qanbari, according to Iran’s Press TV.
Regional officials and analysts had tempered expectations ahead of the talks, citing Iran’s refusal to end uranium enrichment and U.S. demands that negotiations also address Tehran’s ballistic missile program, support for militant proxies, and human rights concerns linked to a violent crackdown on anti-regime protests.
“Our talks are focused solely on the nuclear issue, and we are not engaging with the Americans on any other subject,” Araghchi told Press TV. He described the discussions as “a good start” and said both sides agreed to continue negotiations. Follow-up talks are planned, though no date or location has been set, CNN reported.
Araghchi also called on Washington to reduce military pressure, saying negotiations should “take place in a calm environment, free from tension and threats.”
President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned Iran over its nuclear program and its treatment of protesters. The United States has increased its military presence in the region, including the deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group. During the Oman talks, U.S. officials highlighted that posture by flying fighter jets over the carrier strike group in the Arabian Sea, the New York Post reported.
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