US tightens pressure on Iran with new sanctions and threats of more strikes

The United States ramped up pressure on Iran on Wednesday, with President Donald Trump threatening more strikes and the Treasury Department slapping fresh sanctions on entities that it says “have supported weapons procurement” on behalf of Tehran, including some in China and Hong Kong.“We hit them hard yesterday and we’re going to hit them again hard today,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Wednesday.“We’ll see what happens with the deal. We’re really close to a deal but they keep tapping us along. They keep playing us for suckers.”Trump’s warning came as the US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Wednesday said it had fired at an oil tanker attempting to transport oil from Iran that violated its blockade on Iranian ports.It followed Tuesday’s strikes against Iranian military targets near the Strait of Hormuz, which CENTCOM said was an act of self-defence after Iran shot down a US military helicopter.Also on Wednesday, the Treasury Department said it was imposing sanctions against individuals and entities, including nine based in China and Hong Kong, for supporting weapons procurement by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Iranian military.