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US Treasury Imposes New Sanctions on Iranian Companies

The US Treasury building. (AFP)
The US Treasury building. (AFP)
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US Treasury Imposes New Sanctions on Iranian Companies

The US Treasury building. (AFP)
The US Treasury building. (AFP)

The United States imposed new sanctions Thursday on Iran-linked shipping and petrochemical companies, including two shipping firms based in China.

The sanctions also target 20 shipping vessels linked to firms in China, Vietnam, and the United Arab Emirates, the Treasury Department's website showed.

The sanctions were issued under a 2018 US executive order that restored sanctions targeting Iran's oil, banking, and transportation sectors.

The US sanctioned weeks ago nine entities across multiple jurisdictions that have played a critical role in the production, sale, and shipment of hundreds of millions of dollars worth of Iranian petrochemicals and petroleum to buyers in Asia.

These sanctions are the latest measure by the US President Joe Biden administration to limit the Iranian government's ability to earn money from the energy products subject to sanctions.

Meanwhile, the efforts to revive the Iranian nuclear deal remain stalled, while Iran continues to provide Russia with drones to use in its invasion of Ukraine.

Iran is increasingly turning to buyers in East Asia to sell its petrochemical and petroleum products, in violation of US sanctions, said Brian Nelson, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence.

“The United States remains focused on targeting Tehran’s sources of illicit revenue and will continue to enforce its sanctions against those who wittingly facilitate this trade,” he added.

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Macron’s Message to Trump: ‘You Can’t Be Weak in the Face of Putin’ 

French President Emmanuel Macron waits for the arrival of guests for a second meeting on Ukraine and European security at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, February 19, 2025. (Reuters)
French President Emmanuel Macron waits for the arrival of guests for a second meeting on Ukraine and European security at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, February 19, 2025. (Reuters)
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Macron’s Message to Trump: ‘You Can’t Be Weak in the Face of Putin’ 

French President Emmanuel Macron waits for the arrival of guests for a second meeting on Ukraine and European security at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, February 19, 2025. (Reuters)
French President Emmanuel Macron waits for the arrival of guests for a second meeting on Ukraine and European security at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, February 19, 2025. (Reuters)

French President Emmanuel Macron said he intends to tell Donald Trump that it's in the joint interest of Americans and Europeans not to “be weak” in the face of Russia's Vladimir Putin amid US-led negotiations to end the almost three-year war in Ukraine.

Macron is to travel to Washington to meet with Trump on Monday, the White House said.

In a one-hour question and answer session on his social media Thursday, Macron said he'll tell Trump: “You can’t be weak in the face of President Putin. It’s not you, it’s not your trademark, it’s not in your interest. How can you then be credible in the face of China if you’re weak in the face of Putin?”

Trump's recent statements that echo Putin's narrative and plans to have direct negotiations with Moscow have left European allies and Ukrainian officials worried. But Macron suggested Trump's strategy to create “uncertainty” in talks with Russia could actually make Western allies stronger in these talks.

Putin “doesn’t know what he (Trump) is going to do, he thinks (Trump) is capable of anything,” Macron said. “This uncertainty is good for us and for Ukraine.”

Macron added he would seek to persuade Trump that US interests and Europeans’ interests are the same, telling him: “If you let Russia take over Ukraine, it would be unstoppable.”

That means any peace deal must be negotiated with Ukrainians and Europeans around the table, Macron reaffirmed.

"We want peace, but we don’t want a ceasefire that means Ukraine surrendering, because that’s dangerous. And we know that would lead to Russia going further. We’ve already experienced it," he said.

Macron also appeared ready to answer Trump's call to boost defense spending. “Us, Europeans, we must increase our war effort,” he said.

Asked about whether he's considering sending French troops to Ukraine, he said he would not send soldiers to fight in Ukraine but rather a security force meant to bring “guarantees” once a peace deal is achieved.

“We don't rule out, within a framework planned with our allies, the possibility of having forces which, once peace has been negotiated, could contribute to guaranteeing Ukraine’s security,” he said.