US back to blacklisting as Iran deal becomes increasingly remote

With a deal to return Iranian oil to above-board trades looking more and more unlikely, the US has begun sabre-rattling on sanctions.

After blacklisting two ships connected to an alleged petrochemical trading ring with outposts in Iran, the United Arab Emirates and the Far East, US secretary of state Anthony Blinken said he still wanted to revive the nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which was scuttled in 2018.