• The US imposes sanctions on seven entities involved in Iranian oil trade.
• Sanctions aim to curb Iran's petrochemical exports, especially to China.
• New sanctions come as nuclear negotiations with Iran are set to resume.

The United States announced sanctions on seven entities engaged in the illicit trade of Iranian petroleum products, targeting companies based in the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and Iran. This move includes the identification of two vessels as blocked property amid ongoing nuclear negotiations with Tehran. The sanctions aim to eliminate Iran’s oil and petrochemical exports, as President Trump enforces his "maximum pressure" campaign to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, especially by driving exports to zero, according to aa, channelnewsasia, reuters, and dawn.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio highlighted that the action specifically targeted four sellers and one buyer of Iranian petrochemicals valued at hundreds of millions of dollars. The sanctions signify a continuation of the U.S.'s aggressive stance on Iranian oil exports as it seeks to hold both Iran and its partners accountable for sanctions evasion. Rubio reiterated that “the President is committed to driving Iran’s illicit oil and petrochemical exports - including exports to China - to zero,” according to aa and reuters.

The sanctions come as negotiations between the U.S. and Iran over its nuclear program are set to resume in Rome. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi criticized the sanctions, stating that they send the “wrong message” during negotiations. This round of talks aims to address the complexities surrounding Iran's nuclear activities, which have escalated since the U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal in 2018, according to channelnewsasia and dawn.