US House Speaker Mike Johnson on Friday praised US President Donald Trump’s approach to Iran for ramping up pressure on Tehran and its regional allies, as a US senator called for additional sanctions on China over its role in Iran’s missile program.
Speaking alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Johnson said Trump and Netanyahu both understand that “peace is secured through strength, not appeasement”.
“This week, (Trump) announced a plan to exert maximum pressure on Iran and its proxies who terrorize the Israeli people and the world,” Johnson said.
Trump on Tuesday signed a directive restoring the so-called maximum pressure policy on Iran of his first term and warned of "catastrophic" consequences if Tehran does not make a deal on its nuclear program.
Following the directive, on Thursday, the United States announced sanctions on networks involved in shipping Iranian oil to China.
The coordinated actions by the Treasury Department and the State Department span multiple countries, including China, India and the United Arab Emirates and involve several vessels linked to Iran's exports.
The new sanctions aim to disrupt Iran’s use of foreign-based brokers and front companies to bypass restrictions and sustain its oil exports, the treasury said.
The Treasury's move focuses on state firm Sepehr Energy, previously designated by the Office of Foreign Assets Control in late 2023 for its alleged ties to Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics.
US Senator Pete Ricketts called for further action, urging the administration to impose costs on China, which he said plays a key role in Iran’s missile program.
"Reimposing maximum pressure on the Iranian regime requires imposing costs on Communist China,” the Republican Senator from Nebraska said in a post on X Friday.
“We encourage the administration to identify and sanction any entities involved in transferring missile propellants to Iran, including any Chinese companies sourcing the propellants and any Chinese ports that allow sanctioned Iranian ships to dock,” Ricketts added.
