Tensions between the United States and Iran has increased since the US last year withdrew from 2015 nuclear deal. After that, recently, Iranian foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif said Iran was not ready for talks with the US on a new nuclear deal.
The United States of America has imposed trade, economic, scientific and military sanctions on Iran. After the Iranian revolution, the US had ended its economic and diplomatic ties with Iran. Last year the US had imposed sanctions including, a ban on selling air crafts and repairing parts to Iranian aviation companies.
The US had imposed sanctions on Iran last November where US President Donald Trump decided not to allow other counties to buy oil from Iran. But later Trump administration said that they would start imposing sanctions on countries such as Japan, China, South Korea, India, Turkey unless they stop buying oil from Iran. These countries are big customers of Iranian oil companies.
China is Iran’s largest oil customer. US-China relation is also not in a good position. It could invoke US sanctions and also could cut them out of the Global Financial System. China opposed this unilateral sanction.
Recently the US had imposed sanctions on Iran’s foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. After that, the US extended waivers that allow Russia, China, and European countries to continue the civilian nuclear deal.
Later, Iran warned Israel against its involvement in a Naval mission along with the US. But Israel has denied it. This is not the end, on July 4, 2019, an Iranian ship tanker was seized by Gibraltar. It was reported that the ship was carrying Iranian crude oil to Syria in breach of European Union (EU) sanctions against the Government of Syria.
British Royal Marines had arrested 28 crew members. Later the US has issued a warrant to seize the Iranian oil tanker that was captured by British Royal Marines because it was violating US sanctions. But British territory rejected the US request to seize the tanker. Now Iran has warned the US against attempts to seize the vessel and said that the result of such a move would not be good.