U.S. Expands Sanctions on Iran as Nuclear Talks Resume in Geneva

BY Rosemary

The Trump administration on Wednesday unveiled a new wave of sanctions targeting individuals, companies and vessels accused of supporting Iran’s ballistic missile development, drone manufacturing network and illicit oil trade, intensifying economic pressure on Tehran just days before renewed nuclear negotiations in Europe.

The measures, announced by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, apply to 30 people, firms and ships allegedly involved in what U.S. officials describe as efforts to sustain Iran’s weapons programs and circumvent international oil restrictions. The move comes amid a significant American military buildup in the Middle East, one of the largest in decades, as President Donald Trump signals that diplomatic engagement will be paired with the credible threat of force.

Senior U.S. and Iranian officials are scheduled to resume talks Thursday in Geneva, with discussions facilitated by Oman. Among those representing Washington is special envoy Steve Witkoff. The talks follow months of heightened tension, including U.S. airstrikes in June on three Iranian nuclear facilities, which administration officials said were designed to degrade Tehran’s enrichment capabilities.

Treasury officials said the latest sanctions focus in part on what they call Iran’s “shadow fleet,” a network of aging oil tankers that allegedly transport crude in violation of sanctions. These ships, often operating under opaque ownership structures and frequently changing flags, are accused of moving oil to generate revenue for the Iranian government despite restrictions aimed at cutting off funding for its military and regional activities.

The sanctions list also includes drone manufacturing entities such as Qods Aviation Industries, which U.S. officials say has supplied unmanned aerial vehicles to multiple branches of Iran’s armed forces and exported systems to buyers in Africa and Latin America. Washington has increasingly focused on Tehran’s drone capabilities, which have been used in regional conflicts and exported abroad, as a growing security concern.

Under U.S. law, those sanctioned are barred from accessing any property or financial assets within American jurisdiction. U.S. citizens and companies are prohibited from conducting business with them. In practice, many of the listed entities have limited exposure to the U.S. financial system, leading critics to characterize some measures as largely symbolic. Administration officials, however, argue that the cumulative effect of repeated sanctions constrains Iran’s access to global markets and complicates its ability to fund strategic programs.

“Treasury will continue to put maximum pressure on Iran to target the regime’s weapons capabilities and support for terrorism, which it has prioritized over the lives of the Iranian people,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement accompanying the announcement.

President Trump has maintained that Iran must never be permitted to acquire a nuclear weapon. Speaking during his State of the Union address Tuesday evening, he asserted that recent U.S. strikes had significantly degraded Iran’s nuclear infrastructure but warned that Tehran appeared determined to rebuild.

“We wiped it out and they want to start all over again,” Trump said. “And they’re at this moment again pursuing their sinister ambitions. We are in negotiations with them. They want to make a deal, but we haven’t heard those secret words: We will never have a nuclear weapon.”

Iranian officials have consistently denied seeking nuclear arms, insisting that the country’s atomic program is intended for peaceful purposes such as energy production and medical research. Prior to the June strikes, international monitors reported that Iran had enriched uranium to 60% purity — a level far beyond what is typically required for civilian energy use and a short technical step from the 90% enrichment considered weapons-grade.

The convergence of diplomacy, economic sanctions and military posturing underscores the high stakes of the Geneva talks. While U.S. officials frame the sanctions as leverage to secure meaningful concessions, Iranian negotiators have previously argued that relief from economic pressure must accompany any durable agreement.

Whether the renewed negotiations can bridge the deep mistrust between Washington and Tehran remains uncertain. For now, the administration appears determined to combine economic isolation with strategic deterrence as it seeks to compel Iran to curb its nuclear and weapons programs.