The US sent a warning to three countries about secondary sanctions against banks for working with Iran

The US Treasury Department sent letters to the authorities of China, Hong Kong, the UAE and Oman with a list of banks through which transactions with Iran were carried out in circumvention of sanctions.

The letter, signed by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, states that “the United States is counting on you to act promptly to identify and disrupt any illicit activity related to Iran to avoid further action by the Treasury Department.”

The Fox television channel, citing a high-ranking source in the White House, reports that these letters are the first step before introducing secondary sanctions against offending banks.

In parallel, Reuters reports that Washington did not extend the exemption from sanctions for Russian oil, which expired last Saturday, and does not intend to extend the exemption for Iranian oil, which expires on April 19.