United States sanctions against Iran

Japan has started the process of importing Iranian oil, which was suspended due to U.S. sanctions, the governor of Iran's central bank said on Jan. 21.

Turkey has resumed imports of Iranian crude oil after a one-month hiatus in November when U.S. sanctions on Iran were reimposed, trading and shipping sources said.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Nov. 10 that U.S. sanctions announced last week have had no effect on Iran's economy because Washington had already practically reimposed them earlier.

The new U.S. sanctions against Iran can have positive consequences for Turkey, an Iranian diplomat has told state-run Anadolu Agency.

Oil prices fell on Nov. 5 as the start of U.S. sanctions against Iran's fuel exports was softened by waivers that will allow major buyers to still import Iranian crude, while Tehran said it would ignore Washington and continue to sell.

The United States has reimposed punitive measures targeting the Iranian oil and financial sectors in what US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called "the toughest sanctions ever placed" against Iran.

Turkey has conveyed to the U.S. that its sanctions on Iran that will come into effect on Nov. 4 is "unilateral," Turkish foreign minister said on Oct. 24.

The Trump administration is actively considering waivers on sanctions it will reimpose next month for countries that are reducing their imports of Iranian oil, a U.S. government official said on Oct. 5.

The United Nations' highest court has ordered the United States to lift sanctions on Iran that affect imports of humanitarian goods and products and services linked to the safety of civil aviation.

Five world powers and Iran agreed late on Sept. 24 to establish a financial facility in the European Union to facilitate payments for Iranian imports and exports including oil, a key move sought by Tehran following the U.S. pullout from the 2015 nuclear deal and its re-imposition of sanctions.