Iranian lawmakers on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a bill that labels all US military forces as terrorists, state TV reported, a day after Washington ratcheted up pressure on Tehran by announcing that no country would any longer be exempt from US sanctions if it continues to buy Iranian oil.
The bill is a step further from the one last week, when lawmakers approved labeling just US troops in the Middle East as terrorists, in response to the US terrorism designation for Iran’s Revolutionary Guards earlier this month.
The Trump administration re-imposed sanctions on Iran, including on its energy sector, last November, after pulling America out of the landmark 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers.
The US designation against Iran’s Revolutionary Guards is the first-ever for an entire division of another government, and it added another layer of sanctions to the powerful paramilitary force, making it a crime under US jurisdiction to provide them with material support.
On Monday, President Donald Trump decided to do away with waivers as part of the administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran that aims to eliminate all of its revenue from oil exports that the US says funds destabilizing activity throughout the Mideast and beyond.
Also Read
-
Oil hits highest since November as US to tighten Iran sanctions
Oil prices hit their highest since November on Tuesday after Washington announced all waivers on imports of sanctions-hit Iranian oil would end next ... Energy -
Saudi Arabia welcomes US move to end all Iran sanction waivers
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Dr. Ibrahim al-Assaf on Tuesday welcomed a US decision to end all Iran sanction waivers by May, saying it was a ... Gulf -
Iraq ‘ready’ to boost crude exports after Iran waivers end
Iraq is ready to boost oil exports by 250,000 barrels a day to compensate for any shortfalls once US sanctions waivers for Iranian oil end, a ... Energy -
Brian Hook: Countries can either work with US or Iran, but not both
The United States has denied the Iranian regime over $10 billion in revenue and expect that number to increase dramatically, US Special Representative ... Features
