On Thursday evening, US President Donald Trump made sharply worded remarks, declaring: “Any country that buys oil from Iran will lose the right to trade with the US.” He added: “New sanctions will be imposed on the export of Iranian oil and petrochemical products, particularly to China, in order to drive this figure down to zero.”
Continuing with this approach, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced in an official statement that seven entities involved in Iran’s oil and petrochemical trade had been sanctioned and two ships had been seized. Defending the White House’s decision, he stated: “The President is determined to bring Iran’s illegal oil exports to a complete halt through maximum pressure.”
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, meanwhile, accused the Islamic Republic of Iran of providing military support to Yemen’s Ansarallah movement. He warned, “Iran will pay the price for this support at a time and place of our choosing.” This stance was echoed by Steve Witkoff, the President’s special envoy for Middle East affairs—an indication of the unified front within the US executive branch in pursuing a confrontational strategy.
In response, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei issued a strongly worded statement, calling the new US sanctions a “violation of fundamental principles of international law” and an example of “economic terrorism.” He stressed: “These sanctions reflect a lack of political will for dialogue and the continuation of the US government’s hostile and unlawful conduct.”
The postponement of the Iran–US talks that were set to be held in Rome on Saturday has taken place exactly within this context. While Oman’s foreign minister attributed the delay to logistical reasons, there is little doubt that the timing—coinciding with the new sanctions and Washington’s aggressive posture—carries meaningful political messages.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry confirmed the postponement and, citing the Omani side’s proposal, stated: “The dialogue will continue through diplomatic channels, and the new date will be announced after the necessary coordination.” Baqaei emphasized: “The Islamic Republic of Iran entered the talks from the outset with goodwill and outlined a clear framework for achieving a fair, reasonable, and lasting agreement.”
Under these circumstances, the continuation of the US’s dual-track approach not only introduces new challenges to the diplomatic process but could rapidly push potential opportunities for agreement to a point of no return—unless Washington undertakes a serious reassessment of its strategy.
NOURNEWS