US sanctions Chinese firms aiding Iran weapons procurement

On Wednesday, the United States escalated its pressure on Iran, as President Donald Trump warned of additional military actions and the Treasury Department announced new sanctions against organizations believed to aid Iran's weapons acquisition, including nine located in China and Hong Kong. Trump remarked, "We hit them hard yesterday and we're going to hit them again hard today," while suggesting that a deal was near but accused Iran of stalling. In a separate incident, the US Central Command reported that it had fired upon an oil tanker trying to transport oil from Iran, breaching a blockade on Iranian ports. The sanctions specifically target individuals and groups associated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and military.