The United States has sanctioned 14 nautical vessels as part of what it calls a “shadow fleet” circumventing restrictions on the transport of Iranian oil and petroleum products.

In addition, the country’s Department of State also announced sanctions against two people and 15 entities — including ship management companies based in countries like China, Liberia and Turkiye — for having “traded in Iranian-origin crude oil, petroleum products or petrochemical products”.

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The US has a long history of sanctions against Iran and its oil sector. But the latest slate of sanctions on Friday comes as the two countries hold talks in Oman to try to lessen the escalating tensions between them.

In a statement on Friday, the US State Department signalled that the new sanctions were designed to support the antigovernment protests that have gripped Iran in recent months.

“Time and time again, the Iranian government has prioritized its destabilizing behavior over the safety and security of its own citizens, as demonstrated by the regime’s mass murder of peaceful protestors,” the statement read.

The State Department added that it would continue to impose economic penalties on any individual or group that helps to prop up Iran’s economy.

Its aim was to “stem the flow of revenue that the regime in Tehran uses to support terrorism abroad and repress its citizens”.

“The United States will continue to act against the network of shippers and traders involved in the transport and acquisition of Iranian crude oil, petroleum products, and petrochemical products, which constitutes the regime’s primary source of income,” the State Department said.

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The sanctions are the latest step in a mounting pressure campaign under the administration of US President Donald Trump.

Over the last month, Trump has voiced a willingness to take further military action against Iran, following the air strikes he authorised on three Iranian nuclear facilities in June of last year.

On January 2, for instance, Trump warned he would come to the “rescue” of any Iranian protesters killed in the country’s crackdown. The US, he added, was “locked and loaded and ready to go”.

A week and a half later, on January 13, CBS News aired an interview where Trump asserted that the US “will take very strong action” against Iran should protesters face execution.

Separately, that same day, he posted a message on Truth Social encouraging the demonstrators to continue their protests, adding, “HELP IS ON ITS WAY.”

In late January, Trump took a further step, announcing the deployment of a “massive armada”, including the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, to the waterways near Iran. An Iranian drone was reportedly shot down this week as it approached the aircraft carrier.

But US allies in the Middle East have encouraged the Trump administration to avoid any military escalation with Iran, for fear of sparking a destabilising, region-wide conflict.

In advance of Friday’s talks in Oman, the Trump administration released a list of demands, which included not only the dismantlement of Iran’s nuclear programme but also restrictions on its ballistic missile stockpile and its ability to back armed groups in the region.

While Iranian officials have baulked at some of the demands, Friday’s negotiations concluded with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi calling it a “good start”. The US has yet to comment on the talks.

During Trump’s first term as president, the US withdrew from a 2015 deal called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which would have seen Iran scale down its nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief.