ISLAMABAD: The United States on Thursday announced sweeping sanctions targeting shipping and aviation networks tied to Iran&rsquo;s petroleum trade, explicitly naming entities operating &ldquo;in several countries, including, but not limited to India, Panama, and the Seychelles,&rdquo; according to a State Department statement.&nbsp;The State Department said it designated 17 entities, individuals and vessels, while the Treasury Department simultaneously listed 41 entities, individuals, vessels and aircraft for allegedly helping channel funds to Iran&rsquo;s &ldquo;malign activities through illicit oil sales.&rdquo;&nbsp;The statement warned that revenue from these networks is used to support &ldquo;Iran&rsquo;s regional terrorist proxies and procure weapons systems that pose a direct threat to US forces and our allies.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;We will use all the tools at our disposal to hold the regime accountable,&rdquo; the release said, stressing that actions are being taken under National Security Presidential Memorandum 2, which directs &ldquo;maximum pressure on the Iranian regime.&rdquo;&nbsp;Iran says West pursuing &lsquo;escalation&rsquo; after new IAEA resolutionReacting a day later, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused the US and three European powers of triggering a fresh confrontation after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) passed a resolution demanding &ldquo;full and prompt&rdquo; cooperation from Tehran, including access to sensitive nuclear sites.&nbsp;&ldquo;Given that the E3 and the US seek escalation, they know full well that the official termination of the Cairo Agreement is the direct outcome of their provocations,&rdquo; Araghchi posted on X.&nbsp;He added that the agreement, reached in September to guide cooperation with the IAEA, was now &ldquo;null and void&rdquo; following the new resolution.&nbsp;Araghchi said Western actions had &ldquo;killed&rdquo; the framework much like &ldquo;the diplomacy which was assaulted by Israel and the US in June,&rdquo; referencing the mid-June conflict in which Israel launched an &ldquo;unprecedented bombing campaign&rdquo; and the United States &ldquo;briefly joined with strikes on key Iranian nuclear facilities.&rdquo;&nbsp;He argued earlier that any access for inspectors to sites hit during the war depended on reaching a &ldquo;new understanding,&rdquo; saying the latest IAEA move was &ldquo;disrupting the process of interactions and cooperation.&rdquo;&nbsp;With additional inputs from AFP

Asia

US sanctions India-linked networks in Iran’s oil trade as Tehran slams Western powers for “escalation” after a new IAEA resolution renders the Cairo cooperation agreement void.

India-linked entities flagged as US tightens curbs on Iran oil trade

VIENNA: Diplomats from Germany, United Kingdom (UK) and France held talks with Iran&rsquo;s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday to explore final options before sanctions are reinstated on Iran&rsquo;s nuclear program, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said.&nbsp;A statement issued on behalf of Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi acknowledged the meeting, which also involves Kaja Kallas, the foreign policy chief for the European Union.&nbsp;Wadephul said the three European countries known as the &lsquo;E3&rsquo; will continue to negotiate with Iran.&nbsp;Amid a flurry of diplomatic engagements, Araghchi on Monday also met with Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, in New York.&nbsp;Earlier this month, the UN nuclear watchdog and Iran signed an agreement mediated by Egypt to pave the way for resuming cooperation, including on ways of relaunching inspections of Iran&rsquo;s nuclear facilities. Iran&rsquo;s President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a law adopted by his country&rsquo;s parliament suspending all cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog, which followed Israel&rsquo;s 12-day war with Iran in June, during which Israel and the US struck Iranian nuclear sites. Iran has long insisted its program is peaceful, though Western nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) assess that Tehran had an active nuclear weapons program until 2003.&nbsp;The process, termed a &ldquo;snapback&rdquo; by the diplomats who negotiated it into Iran&rsquo;s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers was designed to be veto-proof at the UN and could take effect in a month.&nbsp;The move set a 30-day clock for resumption unless a diplomatic agreement is reached.&nbsp;European nations have said they would be willing to extend the deadline if Iran resumes direct negotiations with the US over its nuclear program and allows UN nuclear inspectors access to its nuclear sites, and accounts for the more than 400 kilograms of highly enriched uranium the UN watchdog says it has.&nbsp;If no diplomatic deal is found, the sanctions will automatically &quot;snapback&quot; on September 28.

Middle East

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi engaged European leaders to prevent sanctions “snapback,” stressing Iran’s peaceful nuclear program. Tehran seeks fair negotiations and insists cooperation depends on respecting its sovereignty.

Articles tagged with "Abbas Araghchi"

India-linked entities flagged as US tightens curbs on Iran oil trade

Iran's foreign minister meets European nations ahead of deadline