Category: 2. World

President Donald Trump hasn’t found his recent phone calls with war-entangled leaders encouraging.

“Very disappointed,” Trump said of his last conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose war in Ukraine is only escalating, despite Trump’s efforts to end it.

“It was sort of disappointing,” Trump said Friday of a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose war in Gaza continues amid a dire humanitarian crisis.

With those two conflicts so far unresolved — impeding his chances for a Nobel Peace Prize — Trump is discovering the limitations of his complicated personal ties with Putin and Netanyahu, whose respective wars Trump once insisted he could quickly resolve. And he’s clearly grown frustrated he can’t seem to solve the crises any better than former President Joe Biden, who he regards as a failure on foreign policy in particular.

In Trump’s telling, Putin tells him one thing, then does another. The Kremlin leader, whose relationship with Trump has been the subject of fascination for a decade, has gone “absolutely crazy” in his relentless waves of missile and drone attacks in Ukraine, Trump insists.

Netanyahu, meanwhile, has tested Trump’s patience with airstrikes in Syria and Gaza, where images of starving children have led to international outcry and new divisions within Trump’s own party about how much to support Israel. The two men share a tumultuous history, with their relationship running hot and cold as Trump seeks an end to the war.

Trump’s challenges in leveraging his relationships extend beyond Russia and Israel. He has found a tough trade negotiator in his friend Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, despite once being Modi’s guest of honor at a 125,000-person rally in Gujarat. And his onetime North Korean pen-pal Kim Jong Un is not currently responding to Trump’s overtures; though Kim’s sister said this week their relationship was “not bad,” she said Pyongyang would never abandon its nuclear ambitions.

Trump has always applied a uniquely personal approach to foreign affairs, handing out his cell phone number and encouraging his counterparts to call or text outside the usual diplomatic channels. That has resulted, often, in improved relationships that many diplomats say can yield real results, including Trump’s success in boosting NATO members’ defense spending.

Yet the approach also has its limits.

At the start of this month, Netanyahu dramatically presented Trump with a letter over dinner in the White House Blue Room nominating him for the Nobel prize. Trump seemed momentarily speechless.

By the end of July, however, Netanyahu’s actions in Gaza and Syria — including the bombing of a Catholic Church and the targeting of government buildings — were testing Trump’s patience. And this week, Trump openly broke with Netanyahu, who has claimed there was no starvation in Gaza, after seeing images of the crisis on television.

“I think everybody, unless they’re pretty cold-hearted — or worse than that, nuts — there’s nothing you can say other than it’s terrible when you see the kids,” the president said in Scotland, where he was visiting his golf properties.

On the evening before he departed for Scotland, Trump was watching the footage of starving children in Gaza, telling aides he wanted to discuss the horrifying images with Netanyahu and asking what the US could do to help, two White House officials told CNN.

“It had already been on his mind before he left,” one of the officials said, adding Trump was deeply disturbed by the images he saw.

Trump has previously been spurred to action by images of human devastation, and seeing the suffering of the children captured in photos helped motivate him to boost US aid efforts, the officials said.

First lady Melania Trump was particularly affected by the images, they told CNN, and played a key role in Trump’s shifting rhetoric. Trump acknowledged as much when speaking with reporters on Air Force One on his trip back to Washington from Scotland on Tuesday.

It’s not the first time the first lady has factored into Trump’s views of the two intractable conflicts he’s so far been unable to end. Trump has also cited his wife when lamenting what he says is Putin’s duplicity about the war in Ukraine.

“I go home, I tell the first lady, ‘I spoke to Vladimir today, we had a wonderful conversation.’ And she says, ‘Oh really, another city was just hit,’” Trump said this month in the Oval Office.

Trump’s exasperation with Putin has been building for months, fueled in part by the US president’s inability to leverage what he once believed to be a positive relationship into a successful peace deal.

“We got along very well. And I never, you know, I never really thought this would happen,” Trump said this week. “I thought we would be able to negotiate something, and maybe that’ll still happen. But it’s very late down the process. So I’m disappointed.”

That frustration boiled over earlier this week, when Trump abruptly announced he would be moving up the deadline he had given Russia earlier this month — initially 50 days — to either make a deal, or face what the president has characterized as strict secondary sanctions and tariffs. On Tuesday, Trump said Putin had 10 days left to negotiate a ceasefire, after previously sniping that there was “no reason” to wait when he didn’t “see any progress being made.”

A White House official said Trump personally decided to ramp up pressure on Putin after the initial 50-day deadline failed to draw the Russian president back to the negotiating table. Trump decided a shortened timeline was a good negotiating tactic, they said.

The president’s relationship with Putin has drawn intense scrutiny, particularly during Trump’s first term when he appeared to side with Putin over US intelligence agencies on the subject of Moscow’s meddling in the 2016 election.

Trump has suggested a certain kinship with the Russian leader after enduring investigations into the election interference efforts, saying in February Putin had been “through a hell of a lot with me.” Trump’s aides, including his foreign envoy Steve Witkoff, cited the two men’s existing connection as a reason for optimism as he was seeking a negotiated settlement this spring.

While Trump has insisted he wasn’t “played” by the Russian president, he isn’t the first US leader to find that working with Putin is easier said than done. George W. Bush once described gleaning “a sense of his soul” after looking into Putin’s eyes, finding him “very straightforward and trustworthy” — seven years before Russia invaded Georgia. Barack Obama ordered up a “reset” with Russia, complete with red prop button presented by his secretary of state to her counterpart, five years before Russia invaded Crimea.

So, too, have Trump’s predecessors discovered that personal ties to Netanyahu only go so far in shaping the longtime Israeli prime minister’s approach to the region. Biden had known Netanyahu for four decades when he became president in 2021. By the start of his final year in office, Biden was complaining to advisers and others that the prime minister was ignoring his advice and obstructing efforts to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Last fall, some Biden administration officials even believed Netanyahu was prolonging the Gaza conflict in the hopes Trump would win the election.

Trump did lift some restrictions on weapons transfers to Israel when he entered office. But his attempts to pressure Netanyahu and Hamas into a permanent ceasefire have so far fallen short. And a relationship that has seen its ups and downs — including a falling-out over Netanyahu’s acceptance of Biden’s victory in 2020 that Trump has never fully forgotten — has been tested.

Just this summer, Trump heaped praise on Netanyahu, calling for Israeli authorities to drop corruption charges against the prime minister after the US and Israel joined together to strike targets in Iran.

“Bibi and I just went through HELL together,” Trump wrote, echoing his description of the experience he shared with Putin.

But it was only a matter of weeks until Trump was on the phone with Netanyahu to demand an explanation for the church bombing in Gaza and the targeting of sites in Damascus, which caught Trump by surprise, according to the White House.

This weekend, Trump’s ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee denied any rift between the men, saying on Fox News the relationship was “stronger than it’s ever been.”

Some of Trump’s other counterparts hold out hope he may employ his leverage on Netanyahu to do more to alleviate the humanitarian suffering in Gaza.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whose decision to fly to Scotland and meet directly with Trump this weekend was largely due to the unfolding humanitarian crisis, worked to persuade Trump to use his influence to help, including calling on the president to apply pressure on Netanyahu, sources familiar with the discussions said.

Trump said Monday he had spoken directly with the Israeli prime minister regarding the issue, adding that he told Netanyahu he may need to approach the war “in a different way.” White House officials did not divulge the substance of their call, but told CNN the president is dedicated to working with Israel to help solve the famine.

Over the weekend, Israel’s military said it began “humanitarian pauses” in densely populated parts of the enclave and opened corridors for UN convoys to make aid deliveries. However, it said fighting would continue elsewhere.

While the president’s comments condemning the lack of resources being made available to the people of Gaza served as a major break with Netanyahu — who stated over the weekend that there “is no starvation in Gaza” — one White House official told CNN that the divisions between the two leaders are being “far overblown” by the media.

“I don’t think having POTUS acknowledge that children are clearly starving represents some major break with Bibi,” they said, adding that Trump is still committed to fully supporting Israel in their efforts to end their war with Hamas.

A US Navy F-35 fighter jet crashed in central California Wednesday near Naval Air Station Lemoore, according to a Navy press statement.

The pilot ejected safely, and the cause of the crash, which occurred around 6:30 pm, is under investigation, the statement said.

Video from CNN affiliate KFSN showed fire and thick black smoke rising from the crash site in flat, open farmland near the air station, around 40 miles (64 kilometers) southwest of the city of Fresno in central California.

A local EMS crew was at the scene helping the pilot, and Cal Fire also responded, a Fresno County sheriff’s Office statement said.

The aircraft was assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron VF-125, known as the “Rough Raiders,” the Navy said. VF-125 is a Fleet Replacement Squadron, responsible for training pilots and aircrew.

The crashed jet was an F-35C, one of three variants of the F-35 Lightning II, designed for use on US aircraft carriers. The US Air Force flies the F-35A while the Marine Corps flies the F-35B, a short takeoff, vertical landing jet.

The crash of the aircraft, priced at around $100 million, was the second of an F-35 this year. An Air Force F-35A crashed at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska in January during a training mission. The pilot also ejected safely in that incident.

The F-35, a fifth-generation fighter jet and one of the world’s most advanced warplanes, is a cornerstone of the US military’s fleet.

Manufactured by Lockheed Martin, it’s lauded for its advanced stealth and combat capabilities.

The Air Force has 246 F-35s in its fleet, the Marines Corps has 122 and the Navy has 41, according to the World Air Forces database on FlightGlobal.com. Worldwide, more than 17 countries are part of the F-35 program, Lockheed Martin says.

But the jet has faced increased scrutiny in recent years over maintenance and readiness issues.

A January 2025 report from the Defense Department’s Director, Operational Test and Evaluation shows all variants of the multimillion-dollar jets fail to meet requirements for reliability, maintainability and availability.

“The operational suitability of the F-35 fleet continues to fall short of Service expectations,” the report said.

Meanwhile, an online database of F-35 accidents and mishaps from F-16.net shows 20 incidents involving the aircraft from 2014 to 2024.

This story has been updated with additional information.

Tsunami warnings were lifted across the Pacific rim on Wednesday, allowing millions of temporary evacuees to return home after one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded hit off the coast Russia.

The 8.8-magnitude quake rattled Russia’s sparsely populated Kamchatka peninsula, triggering tsunami warnings and evacuations from Japan to the United States to Ecuador.

Storm surges of up to four metres (12 feet) were predicted for some parts of the Pacific, after the shallow quake struck on Wednesday morning.

The tsunamis caused widespread disruption. Peru closed 65 of its 121 Pacific ports and authorities on Maui cancelled flights to and from the Hawaiian island. But fears of a catastrophe were not realised, with country after country lifting or downgrading warnings and telling coastal residents they could return.

In Japan, almost two million people had been ordered to higher ground, before the warnings were downgraded or rescinded. The Fukushima nuclear plant in northeast Japan – destroyed by a huge quake and tsunami in 2011 – was temporarily evacuated.

The only reported fatality was a woman killed while driving her car off a cliff in Japan as she tried to escape, local media reported.

In Chile, authorities conducted what the interior ministry said was “perhaps the most massive evacuation ever carried out in our country” – with 1.4 million people ordered to high ground. Chilean authorities reported no damage or victims and registered waves of just 60 centimeters (two feet) on the country’s north coast.

In the Galápagos Islands, where waves of up to three meters were expected, there was relief as the Ecuadoran navy’s oceanographic institute said the danger had passed.

Locals reported the sea level falling and then rising suddenly, a phenomenon which is commonly seen with the arrival of a tsunami.

But only a surge of just over a metre was reported, causing no damage. “Everything is calm, I’m going back to work. The restaurants are reopening and the places tourists visit are also open again,” said 38-year-old Santa Cruz resident Isabel Grijalva.

Earlier national parks were closed, schools were shuttered, loudspeakers blared warnings and tourists were spirited off sightseeing boats and on to the safety of land.

The worst damage was seen in Russia, where a tsunami crashed through the port of Severo-Kurilsk and submerged the local fishing plant, officials said. Russian state television footage showed buildings and debris swept into the sea.

The surge of water reached as far as the town’s second world war monument about 400 meters from the shoreline, said mayor Alexander Ovsyannikov. The initial quake also caused limited damage and only light injuries, despite being the strongest since 2011, when 15,000 people were killed in Japan.

Russian scientists reported that the Klyuchevskoy volcano erupted shortly after the earthquake. “Red-hot lava is observed flowing down the western slope. There is a powerful glow above the volcano and explosions,” said Russia’s Geophysical Survey.

Wednesday’s quake was the strongest in the Kamchatka region since 1952, the regional seismic monitoring service said, warning of aftershocks of up to 7.5 magnitude.

The US Geological Survey said the quake was one of the 10 strongest tremors recorded since 1900. It was followed by dozens of aftershocks that further shook the Russian Far East, including one of 6.9 magnitude.

The USGS said there was a 59% chance of an aftershock of more than 7.0 magnitude in the next week.

With AFP

It may prove to be a momentous week in Middle East diplomacy, and not just because Keir Starmer – after much hesitation – made his historic pledge on Tuesday that the UK would recognise a Palestinian state at the UN general assembly in September if Israel did not agree to meet certain conditions.

The day was momentous because in New York, Brussels, Jerusalem and even Berlin the battle lines are becoming clearer between the moderate and extremist visions for the future of Gaza and the West Bank once the war finally ends.

Advocates of a two-state solution, including a radically reformed Palestinian Authority governing without Hamas, have finally realised the time to act is now, or else risk their vision being buried by Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right minister of finance, Bezalel Smotrich, under the benign watch of Donald Trump. The choice is between coexistence and forced displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.

Britain’s policy that it could hold back playing the “recognition card” until the point of maximum impact in the peace process was based on a belief that the UK still held sway in the Middle East, but also rested on an outdated interpretation of the future trajectory of Israeli politics.

The reality is that Israel in the wake of 7 October has moved further and further away from notions of a two-state solution.

On Tuesday, Smotrich said the re-establishment of Israeli settlements in Gaza was no longer “wishful thinking, but part of what had become a realistic work plan. Gaza is an inseparable part of Land of Israel,” he said. It comes amid reports that Netanyahu will give Hamas a few days to agree to a ceasefire on his terms and if not he will begin annexing parts of the Gaza Strip.

Smotrich also said of the West Bank: “Israel is making a revolution there by implementing de facto sovereignty, regulating construction making declarations changing the DNA of the entire system and paving roads.” Formal sovereignty over the West Bank will be completed in the government’s term, he predicted.

In this context it became absolutely critical that proponents of a two-state solution galvanise even if to make a last stand to keep the concept from being destroyed by Israeli bulldozers. In the words of the French foreign minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, the two-state solution was “in mortal danger. On both sides the proponents of rejection seem to be winning.”

Map showing which countries recognise Palestinian state

A postponed conference in New York held this week provided the chance to turn the tide. Barrot argued: “After 22 months of fruitless attempts, it is illusory to hope a lasting ceasefire can be obtained without outlining a shared vision for the postwar period in Gaza, without charting a political horizon, an alternative to a permanent state of war.”

Before the conference the French president, Emmanuel Macron, presented a letter from the Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas, in which he made a series of concessions. Among other commitments, the PA committed to hold presidential elections within a year throughout the occupied territories, including East Jerusalem. The aim was to achieve generational renewal – and the resignation of 89-year-old Abbas. Speaking to the New York conference, the Palestinian prime minister, Mohammad Mustafa, reiterated that Hamas must stand aside.

But the conference, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, did not just focus on reform of the PA and the marginalisation of Hamas, it set out in a seven-page document – the New York declaration – containing a path to a two-state solution, one in which Israel’s security can be assured without further occupation, repression and annexation, the grim dystopian vision offered by Netanyahu.

The declaration merges previous Arab and European postwar plans for Gaza. It proposes: “Following the ceasefire, a transitional administrative committee must be immediately established to operate in Gaza under the umbrella of the Palestinian Authority.

The declaration supports the deployment of a temporary international stabilisation mission, mandated by the UN security council, and welcomes “the readiness expressed by some member states to contribute troops”.

It emphasised Gaza was an integral part of the Palestinian State and must be unified with the West Bank. Hamas must end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority with international engagement. It also holds out the aspiration that the ending of the Israel-Palestinian conflict will lead to a wider regional settlement, even if the Gulf states currently balk at offering normalisation with Israel.

In this wider context, the internal British debate about the conditionality attached to the British pledge to recognise a Palestine state looks somewhat marginal.

From the left, Starmer faces criticism for not offering recognition as a principled assertion of the Palestinians’ right to self-determination. His offer certainly lacked the high-flown rhetoric about statehood embedded in the French offer, and it seems misplaced to cast the offer as a punishment against Israel. Moreover, by refusing to act jointly with Macron last week, Starmer’s decision appeared to be a retreat in the face of an internal rebellion, rather than showing leadership.

Nevertheless the UK decision was greeted warmly in New York when announced by the UK foreign secretary, David Lammy. The conditionality, the last vestige of the UK hang-up about using recognition as an influential card, also helps to clarify that Israel faces an essential choice between conflict and coexistence. Since Israel has immediately rejected Starmer’s terms, UK recognition now looks an inevitability in September.

There are growing signs in Brussels and Berlin too that patience with Netanyahu’s methods has run out, even if they cannot agree on a form of punishment. In the US the latest Gallup poll shows only 8% of Democrats support Israel’s strategy.

It is now the task of diplomats to harness the momentum created in New York, and the worldwide abhorrence at Israel’s war in Gaza, to persuade Donald Trump to think more strategically about a Palestinian peace. It may yet prove impossible, but at least the groundwork has now been laid.

• No casualties reported in Russia; Klyuchevskoy volcano erupts post-quake
• Warnings downgraded after high waves strike Russian islands
• Japan and Hawaii evacuate coastal areas; Coastal Chile, Galapagos Islands evacuated

KAMCHATKA COAST: A very powerful magnitude 8.8 earthquake off Russia’s Far Eastern Kamchatka coast, which triggered tsunami warnings as far away as French Polynesia, Chile, Hawaii, Peru and California on Wednesday, was followed by an eruption of the most active volcano on the peninsula.

The shallow quake damaged buildings and injured several people in the remote Russian region, while much of Japan’s eastern seaboard – badly damaged by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami in 2011 – was ordered to evacuate, as were parts of Hawaii.

But by the evening, Japan, Hawaii, Russia and California had downgraded most of their tsunami warnings. But authorities in French Polynesia warned residents of several of the remote Marquesas Islands to move to higher ground and expect waves as high as 2.5 metres (8 feet).

Meanwhile, authorities ordered evacuations on Ecuador and Chile’s Pacific islands, after the massive earthquake.

Residents and tourists on Chile’s Easter Island evacuated to a church on higher ground.

In Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands, the government ordered that people living in vulnerable coastal areas make their way to safe zones.

‘No casualties in Russia’

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there had been no casualties in Russia from the quake, crediting solid building construction and the smooth working of alert systems.

In Severo-Kurilsk in the northern Kuril Islands, south of Kamchatka, tsunami waves exceeded 3 metres, with the largest up to 5 metres, Russia’s RIA news agency reported.

According to AFP, Peru closed 65 of its 121 Pacific ports as a tsunami alert was issued following a massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake off the east coast of Russia.

The Navy recommended suspending port and fishing activities and urged people to stay away from the ocean.

The Klyuchevskoy volcano on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula began erupting later, a geological monitoring service said.

Waves in Hawaii, Japan

Hawaii recorded waves of up to 1.7 metres while in Japan the largest recorded came to 1.3 metres, officials said.

Flights out of Honolulu airport resumed in the evening, the transportation department said.

Waves of nearly half a metre were observed as far away as California, with smaller ones reaching Canada’s province of British Columbia, reports Reuters.

Armed forces on alert

In French Polynesia, waves started to hit some islands in the early morning hours of Wednesday. In other parts, wave heights were expected to remain below 30 cm, not requiring evacuation or sheltering.

“Our armed forces in French Polynesia are on alert as a precautionary measure, to be ready to assist our fellow citizens and state services in potential search and rescue operations or medical evacuations,” French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu said on the social media platform X.

‘Ring of fire’

The quake occurred on what is known as a “megathrust fault” where the denser Pacific Plate is sliding underneath the lighter North American Plate, according to scientists.

They said Kamchatka and Russia’s Far East sit on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a geologically active region that is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

Published in Dawn, July 31st, 2025

WASHINGTON: The United States has announced a fresh wave of sanctions targeting Iran’s shipping industry, hitting more than 100 people, companies and vessels linked to the country. 

The move is part of President Donald Trump’s push to increase pressure on Tehran, especially after airstrikes on its nuclear sites in June. 

US officials said that the aim is to block Iran from selling oil and to cut off money they believe helps keep the regime in power.

The sanctions broadly target the shipping interests of Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, the son of Ali Shamkhani, who is himself an adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. 

The US Treasury described it as the most significant Iran-related sanctions action since 2018, during President Donald Trump’s first administration.

According to the US Treasury Department, Shamkhani controls a vast network of container ships and tankers through a complex web of intermediaries that sell Iranian and Russian oil and other goods across the globe.

The Treasury accused Shamkhani of using personal connections and corruption in Tehran to generate tens of billions of dollars in profits, much of which is used to prop up the Iranian regime.

Overall, the new sanctions target 15 shipping firms, 52 vessels, 12 individuals, and 53 entities involved in sanctions evasion across 17 countries — from Panama to Italy to Hong Kong.

A US official said the sanctions would make it “much more difficult” for Iran to sell its oil, though the administration did not expect any long-term disruption to global oil markets.

The official added that Iran’s oil exports had already fallen to around 1.2 million barrels per day, down from 1.8 million at the start of the year, following previous sanctions rounds aimed at Iran’s oil sector.

“We’re still pursuing further action to bring that number down even more,” the official said, noting that sanctions during Trump’s first term had reduced Iranian oil exports to just a few hundred thousand barrels per day.

An Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson called the sanctions “a clear example of America’s hostility towards the Iranian nation,” according to the country’s Student News Network.

The spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, added that the sanctions were “an evil act aimed at harming Iran’s economic development and the welfare of its people.”

China remains the largest buyer of Iranian oil.

Earlier in July, the European Union also sanctioned Shamkhani over his involvement in the Russian oil trade.

A US official said Wednesday’s action would impact both Russia and Iran, but stressed that the focus remained on Iran.

“From our perspective, given where this individual fits, given his connection to the Supreme Leader and his father’s previous sanctions activity, and under the Iran-related authorities, this is an Iran action — meaningful and impactful,” the official stated.

Ali Shamkhani, Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani’s father, was sanctioned by the United States in 2020.

The latest round of sanctions comes as hopes for renewed US-Iran diplomacy remain slim, following last month’s US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites.

Trump warned on Monday that further US attacks would follow if Tehran tried to restart the nuclear sites that were previously struck.

He also said Iran had been sending out “nasty signals” and warned that any effort to resume its nuclear programme would be immediately quashed.

The United States had held five rounds of talks with Iran before the June airstrikes, which Trump claimed had “obliterated” a programme that Washington and its ally Israel argue is aimed at building a nuclear bomb.

Some experts have questioned the extent of the damage. Iran denies it is seeking a nuclear weapon.

A senior White House official said last week that Washington remains open to direct talks with Iran. But European and Iranian diplomats say there is little chance Tehran will return to negotiations with the US any time soon.

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has stepped up pressure on Iran by launching a wide set of new sanctions against more than 100 individuals, companies and ships linked to the country’s oil trade.

US Treasury Department announced fresh sanctions, saying the move is meant to choke off funds that help support Iran’s government, especially after recent strikes on its nuclear sites. 

Officials said that this is one of the biggest actions taken against Iran in years. The sanctions broadly target the shipping interests of Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, the son of Ali Shamkhani, who is himself an adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. 

The US Treasury described it as the most significant Iran-related sanctions action since 2018, during President Donald Trump’s first administration.

According to the US Treasury Department, Shamkhani controls a vast network of container ships and tankers through a complex web of intermediaries that sell Iranian and Russian oil and other goods across the globe.

The Treasury accused Shamkhani of using personal connections and corruption in Tehran to generate tens of billions of dollars in profits, much of which is used to prop up the Iranian regime.

Overall, the new sanctions target 15 shipping firms, 52 vessels, 12 individuals, and 53 entities involved in sanctions evasion across 17 countries — from Panama to Italy to Hong Kong.

A US official said the sanctions would make it “much more difficult” for Iran to sell its oil, though the administration did not expect any long-term disruption to global oil markets.

The official added that Iran’s oil exports had already fallen to around 1.2 million barrels per day, down from 1.8 million at the start of the year, following previous sanctions rounds aimed at Iran’s oil sector.

“We’re still pursuing further action to bring that number down even more,” the official said, noting that sanctions during Trump’s first term had reduced Iranian oil exports to just a few hundred thousand barrels per day.

An Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson called the sanctions “a clear example of America’s hostility towards the Iranian nation,” according to the country’s Student News Network.

The spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, added that the sanctions were “an evil act aimed at harming Iran’s economic development and the welfare of its people.”

China remains the largest buyer of Iranian oil.

Earlier in July, the European Union also sanctioned Shamkhani over his involvement in the Russian oil trade.

A US official said Wednesday’s action would impact both Russia and Iran, but stressed that the focus remained on Iran.

“From our perspective, given where this individual fits, given his connection to the Supreme Leader and his father’s previous sanctions activity, and under the Iran-related authorities, this is clearly an Iran action — meaningful and impactful,” the official stated.

Ali Shamkhani, Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani’s father, was sanctioned by the United States in 2020.

The latest round of sanctions comes as hopes for renewed US-Iran diplomacy remain slim, following last month’s US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites.

Trump warned on Monday that further US attacks would follow if Tehran tried to restart the nuclear sites that were previously struck.

He also said Iran had been sending out “nasty signals” and warned that any effort to resume its nuclear programme would be immediately quashed.

The United States had held five rounds of talks with Iran prior to the June airstrikes, which Trump claimed had “obliterated” a programme that Washington and its ally Israel argue is aimed at building a nuclear bomb.

Some experts have questioned the extent of the damage. Iran denies it is seeking a nuclear weapon.

A senior White House official said last week that Washington remains open to direct talks with Iran. But European and Iranian diplomats say there is little chance Tehran will return to negotiations with the US any time soon.