Trump to sanction allies

US moves to stop all countries from buying Iranian oil

WASHINGTON: The United States said it would start imposing sanctions on friends such as India that buy Iranian oil, in its latest aggressive step to counter Teheran that could jeopardise US relationships.

One targeted country, Turkey, vowed to defy the US demands which sent global crude prices spiralling higher, although President Donald Trump tweeted that his close ally Saudi Arabia would “more than make up” for decreases in Iranian oil.

In seeking to reduce Iran’s oil exports to zero, the Trump administration is targeting the country’s top revenue maker in its latest no-holds-barred move to crush the economy and scale back the clerical regime’s influence.

“The Trump administration and our allies are determined to sustain and expand the maximum economic pressure campaign against Iran to end the regime’s destabilising activity threatening the United States, our partners and allies and security in the Middle East,” the White House said in announcing its move on Monday.

Eight governments were initially given sixmonth

The Trump administration and our allies are determined to sustain and expand the maximum economic pressure campaign against Iran to end the regime’s destabilising activity.

reprieves from the unilateral sanctions on Iranian oil imposed last year by the United States.

They include India, which has warm ties with Washington but disagrees on the US insistence that Iran is a threat.

New Delhi has been working with Iran on a seaport in hopes of circumventing Pakistan, home to virulently anti-Indian militants. Other countries that will be affected include China and Turkey, opening up new friction in contentious relationships if the United States goes ahead with sanctions over buying Iranian oil.

“We do not accept unilateral sanctions and impositions on the issue of how we will establish relations with our neighbours,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in response to the announcement, which he said “will not serve regional peace and stability.”

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo insisted that the United States would punish countries that buy Iranian oil after May 2, without spelling out the scope of the sanctions.

“We’ve made clear if you don’t abide by this, there will be sanctions,” said Pompeo. “We intend to enforce the sanctions.” The others – Greece, Italy, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan – have already heavily reduced their purchases from Iran.

Pompeo said the United States would keep raising pressure until Iranian leaders come back to the table.

The Iranian foreign ministry said the US sanctions were “illegal” from the start.

White House