US sanctions Iran's national bank: Trump

The United States is imposing sanctions on Iran’s national bank, US President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday.

>>Reuters
Published : 20 Sept 2019, 02:59 PM
Updated : 20 Sept 2019, 02:59 PM

Trump did not give any other details about the sanctions. US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the bank was Tehran’s last source of funds.

US President Donald Trump ordered a major increase in sanctions on Iran on Wednesday as Saudi Arabia displayed remnants of drones and missiles it said were used in a crippling attack on its oil sites “unquestionably sponsored” by Tehran.

Trump gave no explanation in a Twitter post announcing the order, but it followed repeated US assertions that the Islamic Republic was behind Saturday’s attack and came hours after Saudi Arabia said the strike was a “test of global will”.

“I have just instructed the Secretary of the Treasury to substantially increase sanctions on the country of Iran!” he wrote.

Iran again denied involvement in the Sept. 14 raids, which hit the world’s biggest crude oil processing facility and initially knocked out half of Saudi output. Saudi Arabia is the world’s leading oil exporter.