President Donald Trump said on Sunday that Republicans are working on legislation that will impose sanctions on any country doing business with Russia, and he said Iran may get added to that list.
"As you know, I suggested it, so any country that does business with Russia will be very severely sanctioned," Trump told reporters. "They may add Iran to that," he added.
Trump's administration has prepared additional sanctions it could use to target key areas of Russia's economy if President Vladimir Putin continues to delay ending Moscow's war in Ukraine, according to a US official and another person familiar with the matter in October.
Trump sanctions Russian oil companies
Trump on October 22 imposed Ukraine-related sanctions on Russia for the first time in his second term, targeting oil companies Lukoil and Rosneft as his frustration grows with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the war.
The US Treasury Department said it was prepared to take further action as it called on Moscow to agree immediately to a ceasefire in Russia's war in Ukraine, which began in February 2022.
Washington's current approach toward Tehran does not indicate any readiness for "equal and fair negotiations," Iran's foreign minister said on Sunday, after Trump hinted at potential discussions last week.
Trump said that Iran has been asking if Washington's sanctions against the country can be lifted.
"Iran has been asking if the sanctions could be lifted. Iran has got very heavy US sanctions, and it makes it really hard for them to do what they'd like to be able to do. And I'm open to hearing that, and we'll see what happens, but I would be open to it," Trump told reporters at the White House.