WASHINGTON—The U.S. threatened to slap sanctions on countries that don’t cut oil imports from Iran to “zero” by Nov. 4, part of the Trump administration’s push to further isolate Tehran both politically and economically, a senior U.S. State Department official said. Buyers of Iranian crude had expected the U.S. would allow them time to reduce their oil imports over a much longer period, by issuing sanctions waivers for nations that made significant efforts to cut their purchases. That expectation was partly based on previous...
The Iran has warned countries to end oil imports from Iran by several years or risk penalties. The move follows Washington 's reimposition of sanctions on Washington in a bid to isolate it politically and economically. Buyers of Iranian crude had expected to be allowed to wean themselves off Iranian oil over several years , as Trump officials had suggested. But senior State Department officials said it will issue no such waivers.