WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Washington will impose more sanctions on Iran after it has already imposed a second round of sanctions targeting vital sectors of the country, notably oil, US national security adviser John Bolton said on Monday.
We will not simply accept the level of sanctions that existed under (former US President Barack) Obama in 2015, "Bolton said in an interview with Fox Business.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said earlier on Monday that Washington would continue to press Iran "relentlessly", stressing the need to change Tehran's behavior.
Pompeo said the new US sanctions targeted the oil and banking sectors, which would speed up the decline in Iran's international economic activity.
The United States has re-imposed economic sanctions and tightened sanctions on Iran's oil, banking and transportation sectors after the Bush administration withdrew its nuclear deal with Tehran in 2015.
"More than 20 countries have already reduced their imports of Iranian oil to zero and the volume of the reduction is more than one million barrels," Pompeo said. "America will also impose sanctions on countries that will continue to deal with Iran."
"The Treasury's imposition of unprecedented financial pressure on Iran should make it clear to the Iranian regime that it will face increased financial isolation and economic stagnation to radically change its destabilizing activities," Treasury Secretary Stephen Menuchin said.
The sanctions include 50 banks and related entities, more than 200 people and a ship in the cargo sector, as well as Iran Air and more than 65 aircraft.
Menuchin said sanctions were the toughest in American history, adding: "There will also be a lot of sanctions on new targets."
"We are watching the Iranian regime closely and we will take action over and over again." American pressure began today, and the world must know that these sanctions are in place.
