More Iran sanctions

US President Donald Trump targeted Iran’s steel and mining sectors yesterday in his latest tough sanctions.

The announcement came hours after Iran said it was suspending some limits set by a multinational nuclear deal -- on the one-year anniversary of Trump’s pullout from the accord.

The White House said it was imposing sanctions on all trade of Iran’s iron, steel, aluminum and copper, the country’s biggest export after oil -- which the United States is already working to halt completely.

“Today’s action targets Iran’s revenue from the export of industrial metals -- 10 per cent of its export economy -- and puts other nations on notice that allowing Iranian steel and other metals into your ports will no longer be tolerated,” Trump said in a statement.

“Tehran can expect further actions unless it fundamentally alters its conduct.” Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Iran’s announcement that it had stopped respecting limits on its nuclear activities agreed under a 2015 deal was “intentionally ambiguous”.

“We’ll have to wait and see what Iran’s actions actually are,” Pompeo said.