Washington, May 6 (IANS) US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that Iran’s actions could trigger broader economic instability as the increasing tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and fears of prolonged disruption to one of the world’s busiest energy corridors are increasing pressure on global oil markets.At the White House news conference , Rubio said Iran’s attempts to control shipping through the Strait of Hormuz threatened fuel supplies, global trade and international shipping lanes re…
Latest sanctions News & Updates
Washington, May 1 (IANS) President Donald Trump on Friday said that negotiations with the Iranians remain uncertain, warning he is “not satisfied” with current proposals while keeping both diplomacy and military action on the table. “They want to make a deal, but I’m not satisfied with it, so we’ll see what happens,” Trump told reporters before departing on Marine One.He described Iran’s leadership as fragmented and unable to reach a consensus. “They all want to make a deal, bu…
New Delhi, May 1 (IANS) The US Navy’s blockade of Iran has built economic pressure on Tehran that continues even though the ceasefire has led to a temporary pause in fighting, according to a new report.The blockade has also hit China’s purchases of Iran’s oil, at discounted prices, deals for which were being carried out through a covert financial system and a fleet of ghost tankers.According to an article in Sky News Australia, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has sustained …
Washington, April 30 (IANS) The White House is asking other countries to join a US-led international coalition aimed at enabling ships to navigate the Strait of Hormuz, American media has reported. The so-called “Maritime Freedom Construct” (MFC) was spelt out in an internal State Department cable sent to US embassies on Tuesday, urging US diplomats to press foreign governments into signing up, according to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report on Wednesday (local time).The MFC would be a joint e…
Washington, April 25 (IANS) US Treasury Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing Jonathan Burke has told lawmakers that sanctions remain a central tool to cut off adversaries from the American financial system and disrupt illicit activity.“Sanctions can be useful to isolate those sanctions targets and make sure they don’t have access to the US financial system,” Burke told lawmakers.Testifying before a House subcommittee, Burke said sanctions serve both as a direct enforcement tool and …
Washington, April 23 (IANS) US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended a temporary sanctions waiver affecting Russian oil, saying it helped prevent a sharper spike in global prices, even as Democrats warned it could boost Moscow’s war finances and keep fuel costs high.Testifying before a Senate panel, Bessent said the move was aimed at stabilising supply during a volatile period.“Treasury was able to create the more than 250 million barrels on the water,” he said.He added that without th…
Tehran, April 12 (IANS) Iran has taken a firm stance amid ongoing negotiations with the US, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei declaring that the country “has not forgotten and will not forget” past breaches of promise by the United States, underscoring deep mistrust even as talks continue in Islamabad.In a detailed post on X, Baqaei stated, “Diplomacy for us is the continuation of the sacred jihad of the defenders of the Iranian land. We have not forgotten and will not forg…
Washington, April 12 (IANS) US Vice President J D Vance said negotiations with Iran failed to produce an agreement after more than 20 hours of talks in Islamabad, warning that Tehran’s refusal to accept Washington’s terms was “bad news for Iran much more than it’s bad news for the United States of America.”“We have been at it now for 21 hours, and we’ve had a number of substantive discussions with the Iranians. That’s the good news. The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement…
New Delhi, April 11 (IANS) Iran’s dominance over the Strait of Hormuz remains evident, with surveillance through the chokepoint waters now extending from the tiny Iranian Larak island, while the US security structure over the Gulf has largely disintegrated, with no clear alternative framework yet in place, a report highlighted on Saturday. Writing for India Narrative, noted author and former Minister of State for External Affairs, M J Akbar opined that America’s strongest alliance, NATO, too is …
New Delhi, April 8 (IANS) India’s former Ambassador to China Ashok K. Kantha on Wednesday termed the two-week ceasefire agreement by the US and Iran as “ambiguous”, though he also expressed optimism by calling it a “window of opportunity”.Speaking to IANS, Kantha cautioned that the ceasefire is not a full-fledged understanding. “It is a 14-day de-escalation. Lot of issues remain to be resolved. At this stage, Israel and the USA on one side and Iran on the other, will make contradictory claims,” …