Trump targets Iranian oil with sanctions, increasing pressure on Islamic Republic to make deal on nukes

The "teapot" refineries purchase the majority of Iranian crude oil exports, according to the Treasury Department. 

The Treasury Department on Thursday is also imposing sanctions on several companies, vessels and captains they say are responsible for facilitating Iranian oil shipments as part of Iran's so-called "shadow fleet." The companies and vessels are all China-based. 

Thursday's sanctions are the latest round targeting Iranian oil sales since the president, in early February, issued a national security memorandum that instituted a campaign of "maximum economic pressure on Iran." 

As for Iran's "shadow fleet," Tehran relies on obscure ship management companies to manage its fleet of tankers that "mask" Iran's petroleum shipments to China using ship-to-ship transfers with sanctioned vessels. 

The Treasury Department on Thursday took action to increase pressure on that "shadow fleet" of actors by designating ships as "blocked property."

Any violation of U.S. sanctions may result in the imposition of civil or criminal penalties on U.S. or foreign persons, the Treasury Department said. 

The imposition of sanctions comes as the U.S. and Iran prepare for a fourth round of nuclear talks. U.S. and Iranian officials are set for the next round of talks to take place in Oman in the coming days. 

Trump is scheduled to travel to the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

The Trump administration has said the flawed 2015 Obama-era Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear feal, did not prevent Iran from building an atomic bomb, with Vance adding that the agreement had "incredibly weak" enforcement regarding inspections. 

Vance said he didn't believe it "actually served the function of preventing the Iranians from getting on the pathway to nuclear weapons."  

Vance also said the Trump administration believes that there were some elements of the Iranian nuclear program that were actually "preserved" under the JCPOA. 

"Yes, there weren't nuclear weapons. Iran doesn't have a nuclear weapon," Vance said, arguing the deal "allowed Iran to sort of stay on this glide path toward a nuclear weapon if they flip the switch and press go." 

"We think that there is a deal here that would reintegrate Iran into the global economy," he said ahead of the talks. "That would be really good for the Iranian people, but would result in the complete cessation of any chance that they can get a nuclear weapon. And that's what we're negotiating toward. And as the president has said, that's Option A." 

If Option A is "very good for the Iranian people," Vance said, then Option B "is very bad." 

As for Trump, he said during a recent interview on NBC's "Meet the Press" that he would only accept "total dismantlement" of Iran's nuclear program.