US National Security Adviser John Bolton says his country will keep up pressure on Iran after imposing new sanctions on the Islamic Republic early this month.
Bolton said on Tuesday that Washington’s ultimate aim was to zero Iran’s oil exports despite backing down on the pledge after eight importers were given waivers when the sanctions took effect on Nov. 5.
“The objective has been from the beginning to get oil exports from Iran down to zero,” Bolton said. “It is our intention to squeeze them very hard. As the British say: ‘Squeeze them until the pips squeak’.”
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has already threatened to “starve” Iranian people in remarks denounced by Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif as “a crime against humanity”.
China, India, Greece, Italy, Taiwan, Japan, Turkey and South Korea are the eight countries that have been exempted from the US sanctions.
Iran’s Minister of Petroleum Bijan Zangeneh said…