The United States government has taken strong action against a network of companies and individuals involved in transporting millions of barrels of Iranian oil to China. On Thursday, the US Department of Treasury announced sanctions against several firms and people,

President Donald Trump’s first sanctions package targeting a handful of vessels carrying Iranian oil stopped short of the “maximum pressure” campaign his administration had pledged, according to shippers and analysts.

President Trump has launched a second round of sanctions on Iran with the goal of cutting the country’s oil exports to zero, particularly to China, its biggest customer. This “maximum pressure” campaign is similar to the tactics used previously,