The Trump administration expanded its sanctions against Iran ahead of its nuclear talks with the country. According to a statement from the State Department, the Iranian regime “continues to mismanage its economy, with catastrophic consequences for its people, and prioritizes funding of foreign proxies and missiles over the basic needs of ordinary Iranians.” The sanctions “target the illicit funds that the regime uses to advance its malign and destabilizing ends.”
The sanctions specifically target 30 individuals, entities, and vessels connected to petroleum sales and Iran’s ballistic missile and advanced conventional weapons (ACW) production. The vessels targeted under the expanded sanctions operate as part of Iran’s “shadow fleet,” the Treasury Department explained.
Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said Iran “exploits financial systems to sell illicit oil, launder the proceeds, procure components for its nuclear and conventional weapons programs, and support its terrorist proxies.” He added, “Under President Trump’s strong leadership, Treasury will continue to put maximum pressure on Iran to target the regime’s weapons capabilities and support for terrorism, which it has prioritized over the lives of the Iranian people.”
The move aligns with President Trump’s National Security Presidential Memorandum 2 (NSPM-2) from February 2025, which calls Iran’s nuclear program an “existential danger to the United States and the entire civilized world.”
“Iran’s behavior threatens the national interest of the United States,” the memorandum adds. “It is therefore in the national interest to impose maximum pressure on the Iranian regime to end its nuclear threat, curtail its ballistic missile program, and stop its support for terrorist groups.”
During his State of the Union address, President Trump said, “They’ve already developed missiles that can threaten Europe and our bases overseas, and they’re working to build missiles that will soon reach the United States of America. They were warned to make no future attempts to rebuild their weapons program, and in particular, nuclear weapons, yet they continue. They’re starting it all over.”
Esmail Baghaei, spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, responded to Trump’s comments in a statement on X: “Whatever they’re alleging in regards to Iran’s nuclear program, Iran’s ballistic missiles, and the number of casualties during January’s unrest is simply the repetition of ‘big lies.’”
