The Associated Press said in a report on Friday that the US Department of Justice had announced criminal charges against the buyers of the Iranian crude oil in China, Russia and Syria.
Officials described the actions, which come at time of simmering tensions between the US and Iran, as part of a broader effort to disrupt funding for the Iranian military.
“The FBI will remain committed to enforcing U.S. sanctions that keep money out of its coffers," FBI Director Christopher Wray said in a statement.
A bipartisan group of US senators are pushing the US President Joe Biden's administration to introduce stricter enforcement of Iran’s oil sanctions, as the country’s exports reached a five year high last year despite US sanctions.
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