US Treasury unveils new Iran sanctions; Trump expands pressure campaign

WASHINGTON, United States — WASHINGTON — The U.S. Treasury Department announced a new package of sanctions targeting Iranian individuals, entities and vessels, while simultaneously issuing a general license authorizing certain security and environmental protection activities, along with the offloading of sanctioned cargoes. The action extends Washington's economic pressure campaign on Tehran alongside ongoing military and diplomatic developments in the region. President Donald Trump said his administration is working to add Iran and Lebanese Hezbollah to a Russia-focused sanctions bill, a step he said would broaden economic and diplomatic pressure on Tehran and its allies. The president made the comments during a meeting at the White House with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Falih al-Zaydi, where he argued that the balance of power in the Middle East has shifted and that regional states are moving out of Iran's sphere of influence. The White House readout signaled that the administration intends to maintain its maximum pressure policy toward Iran. No further details on the timeline or scope of the proposed legislative changes were immediately available.