On Tuesday, the U.S. announced additional sanctions against an Iranian shipping network alleged to have smuggled millions of barrels of oil to China, just days after completed negotiations on nuclear matters in Oman between Tehran and Washington.
In a statement, Iran rejected the new sanctions, saying they were “incompatible” with the purpose of diplomacy and warned that they would affect future talks. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei called the latest round of negotiations “useful” but criticized the U.S. sanctions as unhelpful and counterproductive.
A fourth round of nuclear diplomacy concluded on Sunday, complete with plans for additional dialogue, but Iran reiterated its refusal to suspend uranium enrichment. Each side still claims that it would prefer to engage in diplomacy to resolve the decades long standoff, but they remain divided on central blocks to successful negotiations, including sanctions relief, and the scope of Iran's nuclear activities.
During a trip to Saudi Arabia, U.S. President Donald Trump called Iran the Middle East's "greatest" cause of "destructive" actions and blamed Iran for its "unthinkable suffering" in the region. Trump, who reinstated a "maximum pressure" campaign against Tehran when returning to the warmongering position of U.S. President in January, had threatened military action if diplomacy failed.