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| New U.S. Sanctions Bite Iran, Just as its President Considers Meeting Trump | New U.S. Sanctions Bite Iran, Just as its President Considers Meeting Trump |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| UNITED NATIONS — The United States announced new economic sanctions against Iran’s largest oil customer on Wednesday, further squeezing Tehran just as its president appeared open to meeting with President Trump at the United Nations. | UNITED NATIONS — The United States announced new economic sanctions against Iran’s largest oil customer on Wednesday, further squeezing Tehran just as its president appeared open to meeting with President Trump at the United Nations. |
| Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the sanctions would punish “certain Chinese entities who knowingly transfer oil from Iran” in defiance of American financial restrictions that were imposed earlier this year. Mr. Pompeo also said that economic punishments would be imposed against executives of Chinese companies that are importing Iran’s oil. | Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the sanctions would punish “certain Chinese entities who knowingly transfer oil from Iran” in defiance of American financial restrictions that were imposed earlier this year. Mr. Pompeo also said that economic punishments would be imposed against executives of Chinese companies that are importing Iran’s oil. |
| China has been the biggest foreign buyer of Iran’s oil, a crucial Iranian export. Last year, roughly 6 percent of China’s oil imports came from Iran. | |
| But in the last two months, Chinese state-owned companies have begun importing more oil from Saudi Arabia under tightening pressure from the Trump administration to choke Iran’s economy and force Tehran into new negotiations to limit its nuclear and military programs. | |
| Mr. Pompeo’s comments came at a meeting near the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where diplomats were scrambling to set up a meeting between President Trump and President Hassan Rouhani of Iran on Wednesday. Both sides have previously appeared willing to talk, but Iran has insisted that the United States must first ease its sanctions — which Mr. Pompeo made clear again on Wednesday would not happen. | |
| In a speech to a conference sponsored by United Against Nuclear Iran — an advocacy group that Tehran this week declared a terrorist organization — Mr. Pompeo appeared to taunt Iran’s “panicked aggression” in the wake of the American pressure campaign that has weakened its economy. | In a speech to a conference sponsored by United Against Nuclear Iran — an advocacy group that Tehran this week declared a terrorist organization — Mr. Pompeo appeared to taunt Iran’s “panicked aggression” in the wake of the American pressure campaign that has weakened its economy. |
| He said Tehran responds to “strength, not supplication” and drew titters from the audience when he noted that Mr. Rouhani had claimed of working to bring peace to the Middle East. | He said Tehran responds to “strength, not supplication” and drew titters from the audience when he noted that Mr. Rouhani had claimed of working to bring peace to the Middle East. |
| “They’re calling in every play in their playbook to draw us into conflict, create division among nations and extort them into action,” Mr. Pompeo said. “Their playbook won’t succeed.” | “They’re calling in every play in their playbook to draw us into conflict, create division among nations and extort them into action,” Mr. Pompeo said. “Their playbook won’t succeed.” |
| Ali Rabiei, a spokesman for Mr. Rouhani, described an overnight flurry of messages between Iranian and European officials about a possible meeting on Wednesday with Mr. Trump at the United Nations. | Ali Rabiei, a spokesman for Mr. Rouhani, described an overnight flurry of messages between Iranian and European officials about a possible meeting on Wednesday with Mr. Trump at the United Nations. |
| However, Mr. Rabiei told Iranian media, such a meeting would only happen if it included leaders and diplomats from other world powers, and if the United States appeared willing to return to the nuclear accord renounced by Mr. Trump in May 2018. | However, Mr. Rabiei told Iranian media, such a meeting would only happen if it included leaders and diplomats from other world powers, and if the United States appeared willing to return to the nuclear accord renounced by Mr. Trump in May 2018. |
| Federica Mogherini, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, predicted it would be difficult to save the nuclear deal that was brokered by world powers and Iran in 2015. But, she said, Iran could easily return to complying with the accord — including by stopping its uranium enrichment. | |
| “We all welcome the efforts being made to open the channel of dialogue,” Ms. Mogherini said Wednesday of the prospect of talks between the United States and Iran. Her comments came at the close of a morning meeting of the nations still party to the nuclear accord — Britain, China, France, Germany, Iran and Russia — where she said all committed to try to preserve it. | |
| Iran’s foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, described it as “ a good meeting” but declined further comment. | |
| President Emmanuel Macron of France has for weeks sought to broker talks between the United States and Iran on the sidelines of the General Assembly meetings now underwayat the United Nations, and met with Mr. Trump on Wednesday. In a statement, the White House said the two presidents “discussed ways to address tensions in the Middle East, particularly in responding to Iran’s increasingly belligerent behavior.” | |
| In July, the State Department announced its first set of Iran-related sanctions against a Chinese oil company, Zhuhai Zhenrong and its chief executive, Li Youmin. | |
| But the United States has avoided sanctioning Chinese banks or Sinopec, a much larger state-owned company that is also a big importer of Iranian oil. Sanctions on those institutions would have far-reaching effects in the global financial and business world. | |
| Mr. Pompeo also said the United States would step up its warnings to countries and companies against doing business with entities that are linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, a branch of Iran’s military. The United States declared the Guards Corps a terrorist organization earlier this year; the broad designation prohibits doing business with as many as 11 million Iranians and affiliated groups. | Mr. Pompeo also said the United States would step up its warnings to countries and companies against doing business with entities that are linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, a branch of Iran’s military. The United States declared the Guards Corps a terrorist organization earlier this year; the broad designation prohibits doing business with as many as 11 million Iranians and affiliated groups. |
| The new warnings would work to “disentangle” legitimate business dealings from those with the Guards Corps, Mr. Pompeo said. | The new warnings would work to “disentangle” legitimate business dealings from those with the Guards Corps, Mr. Pompeo said. |