WASHINGTON: The United States issued fresh sanctions targeting Iran on Wednesday, the Treasury Department said, two days after President Donald Trump announced the US planned direct talks with Tehran over its nuclear programme.

The US Treasury Department in a statement said it imposed sanctions on five Iran-based entities and one person based in Iran for their support of Iran’s nuclear programme with the aim of denying Tehran a nuclear weapon.

“The Iranian regime’s reckless pursuit of nuclear weapons remains a grave threat to the United States and a menace to regional stability and global security,” Treasury Sec­re­tary Scott Bessent said in the statement. “Treasury will continue to leverage our tools and authorities to disrupt any attempt by Iran to advance its nuclear programme and its broader destabilising agenda.” Iran’s mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The action comes after Trump made a surprise announcement on Monday that the United States and Iran were poised to begin direct talks on Tehran’s nuclear programme, but Iran’s foreign minister said the discussions in Oman would be indirect.

Tehran says open to American investment, against interference

In a further sign of the difficult path to any deal between the two geopolitical foes, Trump issued a stark warning that if the talks were unsuccessful, “Iran is going to be in great danger.” The Treasury said those targeted on Wednesday supported two previously sanctioned entities that manage and oversee the country’s nuclear programme, the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) and its subordinate, the Iran Centrifuge Technology Company (TESA).

Among those targeted was a company that manufactures aluminum for TESA, an AEOI subordinate responsible for a number of nuclear reactor projects and a company tasked with developing thorium-fueled reactor technologies.

US investment in Iran

President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Wednesday Iran has no objection to American investors doing business in the country but the country firmly opposes any attempts at regime change or foreign interference.

“The leader has no objection to the presence of American investors in the country,” Pezeshkian said of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a speech broadcast on state television.

“We oppose their flawed policies, such as conspiracies and attempts at regime change.” Iran has had no diplomatic relations with Washington since 1980, but is set to hold nuclear talks with US officials in Oman on Saturday.

The talks follow a letter sent by US President Donald Trump on March 7, urging Khamenei to resume nuclear negotiations and warning of possible military action if Iran refuses.

Tehran responded weeks later, saying it was open to indirect negotiations and dismissed the possibility of direct talks as long as the United States maintains its “maximum pressure” policy. “The leader said that we are ready to negotiate, but not in direct negotiations because we do not trust them,” Pezeshkian said.

Published in Dawn, April 10th, 2025