Iran condemns U.S. plans to announce new sanctions

Iran condemns U.S. plans to announce new sanctions Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf stands with members of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces at the grave of Iraqi paramilitary commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who was killed alongside Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani in a U.S. drone strike near Baghdad International Airport in January 2020, in Najaf, Iraq, on Friday. CAIRO/WASHINGTON - Iran on Saturday denounced U.S. plans to announce new sanctions that could put further strain on the Islamic Republic's economy and have an impact on its most important trading partners, including China. After nearly six months of war since the U.S. and Israel launched airstrikes against Iran on Feb. 28, the sides are not firing at each other but also showing no sign of pursuing peace talks. Oil shipments are at a virtual standstill in the Strait of Hormuz, with Tehran threatening to strike any unauthorized oil tankers that try to transit the vital waterway, and Iran's economy is already under immense pressure from sanctions. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.