US sanctions against Iran have denied its government more than $10 billion in oil revenue since President Donald Trump first announced the move last May, a US official said on Thursday.
Brian Hook, US Special Representative for Iran and Senior Policy Advisor to the Secretary of State, made the comment during a call with reporters days after Washington said it would end all exemptions to the sanctions. The United States demanded importers halt purchases from Tehran from May 1 or face punitive action.
“Before sanctions…Iran generated as much as $50 billion annually in oil revenue. We estimate that our sanctions have already denied the regime more than $10 billion since May (2018),” Hook said.
