U.S. will sanction any countries that import Iranian oil: special envoy

[June 28, 2019]    LONDON (Reuters) - The United States will sanction any country that imports Iranian oil and there are no exemptions in place, the United States special envoy for Iran said on Friday.

Brian Hook, U.S. Special Representative for Iran, attends an interview with Reuters at the U.S. Embassy in Paris, France, June 27, 2019. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer

U.S. President Donald Trump targeted Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top Iranian officials with sanctions on Monday, taking an unprecedented step to increase pressure on Iran after Tehran’s downing of an unmanned American drone last week.

"We will sanction any imports of Iranian crude oil... There are right now no oil waivers in place," Brian Hook said when asked about the sale of Iranian crude to Asia, adding that the United States would take a look at reports of Iranian crude going to China.

"We will sanction any illicit purchases of Iranian crude oil," Hook told reporters in London.

(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; additional reporting by James Davey; writing by Alistair Smout; editing by Stephen Addison)

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