US Issues Fresh Iran-Related Sanctions Targeting State Oil Sector

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. (Reuters)
US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. (Reuters)
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US Issues Fresh Iran-Related Sanctions Targeting State Oil Sector

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. (Reuters)
US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. (Reuters)

The United States on Monday imposed fresh Iran-related sanctions targeting the country’s oil sector, including the Iranian Ministry of Petroleum, in Washington’s latest action to increase pressure on Tehran.

The US Treasury Department in a statement said it was slapping sanctions on key actors in Iran’s oil sector for supporting the Quds Force, the foreign paramilitary and espionage arm of the Revolutionary Guard Corps blacklisted by the United States.

“The regime in Iran uses the petroleum sector to fund the destabilizing activities of the IRGC-QF,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in the statement.

Tensions between Washington and Tehran have soared since Trump unilaterally withdrew in 2018 from the Iran nuclear deal struck by his predecessor President Barack Obama and began reimposing US sanctions that had been eased under the accord.

The minister of petroleum, the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) and National Iranian Tanker Company were also blacklisted alongside other individuals and entities in Washington’s move on Monday, which freezes any US assets of those blacklisted and generally bars Americans from dealing with them.

The Treasury also imposed sanctions on Mahmoud Madanipour and United Arab Emirates-based Mobin International Limited, accusing them of entering into an agreement with Venezuelan state-owned Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) to ship gasoline obtained from NIOC to the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

The British-based companies of Madanipour, Mobin Holding Limited and Oman Fuel Trading Ltd were also blacklisted.

Mobin International and Oman Fuel have said they were the owners of the cargo aboard several tankers confiscated by US authorities in August.

The US Justice Department said the cargo was destined for Venezuela, whose oil industry is also under US sanctions, but the companies denied in court filings that Venezuela was the destination.

Iran has sent two other flotillas carrying fuel to gasoline-short Venezuela, and they entered the South American country without US interference.



‘Bad Day:’ Trump Reflects on Assassination Bid One Year Later

Republican candidate Donald Trump is seen with blood on his face surrounded by secret service agents as he is taken off the stage at a campaign event at Butler Farm Show Inc. in Butler, Pennsylvania, July 13, 2024. (AFP)
Republican candidate Donald Trump is seen with blood on his face surrounded by secret service agents as he is taken off the stage at a campaign event at Butler Farm Show Inc. in Butler, Pennsylvania, July 13, 2024. (AFP)
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‘Bad Day:’ Trump Reflects on Assassination Bid One Year Later

Republican candidate Donald Trump is seen with blood on his face surrounded by secret service agents as he is taken off the stage at a campaign event at Butler Farm Show Inc. in Butler, Pennsylvania, July 13, 2024. (AFP)
Republican candidate Donald Trump is seen with blood on his face surrounded by secret service agents as he is taken off the stage at a campaign event at Butler Farm Show Inc. in Butler, Pennsylvania, July 13, 2024. (AFP)

US President Donald Trump says "mistakes were made" but he's satisfied with the investigation into his near-assassination a year ago, as the Secret Service announced disciplinary actions Thursday against six staff members.

In excerpts of an interview on Fox News' "My View with Lara Trump" show, airing Saturday, Trump, 79, said the elite close-protection service "had a bad day."

"There were mistakes made. And that shouldn't have happened," Trump said in the interview conducted by his daughter-in-law Lara Trump, who has her own show on the Trump-friendly news channel.

The Republican -- whose ear was nicked by a bullet while he addressed an election rally in Butler, Pennsylvania -- noted that the would-be assassin had access to a "prime building" overlooking the rally.

One bystander was killed and two other people in addition to Trump were wounded before a counter-sniper killed the gunman -- 20-year-old Thomas Crooks.

The sniper "was able to get him from a long distance with one shot. If he didn't do that, you would have had an even worse situation," Trump said. "His name is David and he did a fantastic job."

Speaking of the post-incident investigation and "the larger plot," Trump said "I'm satisfied with it."

"It was unforgettable," he said, recalling the drama. "I didn't know exactly what was going on. I got whacked. There's no question about that. And fortunately, I got down quickly. People were screaming."

The Secret Service said in a statement that the July 13, 2024, attack was "nothing short of a tragedy" and "an operational failure that the Secret Service will carry as a reminder of the critical importance of its zero-fail mission."

The agency cited communication, technical and human errors and said reforms were underway, including on coordination between different law enforcement bodies and establishment of a division dedicated to aerial surveillance.

Six unidentified staff have been disciplined, the Secret Service said. The punishments range from 10 to 42 days suspension without pay and all six were put into restricted or non-operational positions.

Among measures beefing up security, is an expansion of the fleet of armored golf carts to carry the president. Trump spends frequent weekends at his golf courses and in September last year was allegedly the target of a failed assassination plot while playing in Florida.

"The agency has taken many steps to ensure such an event can never be repeated in the future," Secret Service Director Sean Curran said in a statement.