US will sanction 'illicit purchases' of Iranian crude oil, says special envoy

Published June 28, 2019
US special envoy for Iran Brian Hook says there are oil waivers in place for any country. — Photo courtesy US Department of State website
US special envoy for Iran Brian Hook says there are oil waivers in place for any country. — Photo courtesy US Department of State website

The United States will sanction any country that imports Iranian oil and there are no exemptions in place, the US special envoy for Iran said on Friday.

US President Donald Trump targeted Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top Iranian officials with sanctions on Monday, taking an unprecedented step to increase pressure on Iran after Tehran's downing of an unmanned American drone last week.

“We will sanction any imports of Iranian crude oil... There are right now no oil waivers in place,” Brian Hook said when asked about the sale of Iranian crude to Asia, adding that the US would take a look at reports of Iranian crude going to China.

“We will sanction any illicit purchases of Iranian crude oil,” Hook told reporters in London.

Opinion

Editorial

Plugging the gap
06 May, 2024

Plugging the gap

IN Pakistan, bias begins at birth for the girl child as discriminatory norms, orthodox attitudes and poverty impede...
Terrains of dread
Updated 06 May, 2024

Terrains of dread

Restored faith in the police is unachievable without political commitment and interprovincial support.
Appointment rules
Updated 06 May, 2024

Appointment rules

If the judiciary had the power to self-regulate, it ought to have exercised it instead of involving the legislature.
Hasty transition
Updated 05 May, 2024

Hasty transition

Ostensibly, the aim is to exert greater control over social media and to gain more power to crack down on activists, dissidents and journalists.
One small step…
05 May, 2024

One small step…

THERE is some good news for the nation from the heavens above. On Friday, Pakistan managed to dispatch a lunar...
Not out of the woods
05 May, 2024

Not out of the woods

PAKISTAN’S economic vitals might be showing some signs of improvement, but the country is not yet out of danger....