President Trump on Thursday threatened sanctions on anyone who buys Iranian oil, a warning that came after planned talks over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program were postponed. "All purchases of Iranian Oil, or Petrochemical products, must stop, NOW!" Trump said in a Truth Social post. "Any Country or person who buys ANY AMOUNT of OIL or PETROCHEMICALS from Iran will be subject to, immediately, Secondary Sanctions. They will not be allowed to do business with the United States of America in any way, shape, or form."
It was unclear how Trump would implement such a ban. But his statement risked further escalating tensions with China—Iran's leading customer—at a time when the relationship is severely strained over the US president's tariffs, the AP reports. Based on tanker tracking data, the US Energy Information Administration concluded in a report published last October that "China took nearly 90% of Iran's crude oil and condensate exports in 2023." Trump has separately placed 145% tariffs on China.
Trump's threat came after Oman announced planned nuclear negotiations for this coming weekend had been postponed. "For logistical reasons we are rescheduling the US Iran meeting provisionally planned for Saturday May 3rd," Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi said in a post on X. "New dates will be announced when mutually agreed." The talks had been scheduled to take place in Rome. Previous rounds were held in Muscat, Oman's capital.
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Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei issued a statement describing the talks as being "postponed at the request of Oman's foreign minister." He said Iran remain committed to reaching "a fair and lasting agreement." In a statement earlier Thursday, Baghaei accused the US of "contradictory behaviour and provocative statements," reports Reuters. The statement followed new oil-related sanctions from the US and a warning from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over Iran's support of Yemen's Houthi rebels. "You will pay the CONSEQUENCE at the time and place of our choosing," Hegseth said in a post on X.
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