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US tightens pressure on Iran with new sanctions and threats of more strikes
Washington targets firms in China and Hong Kong accused of aiding Iranian weapons procurement as Trump warns of further military action
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Dewey Simin WashingtonPublished: 3:01am, 11 Jun 2026Updated: 6:19am, 11 Jun 2026
The United States ramped up pressure on Iran on Wednesday, with President Donald Trump threatening more strikes and the Treasury Department slapping fresh sanctions on entities that it says “have supported weapons procurement” on behalf of Tehran, including some in China and Hong Kong.
“We hit them hard yesterday and we’re going to hit them again hard today,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Wednesday.
“We’ll see what happens with the deal. We’re really close to a deal but they keep tapping us along. They keep playing us for suckers.”
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Trump’s warning came as the US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Wednesday said it launched strikes at 5.15pm Eastern Time against “multiple targets” in Iran. Earlier in the day, its forces fired at an oil tanker attempting to transport oil from Iran that violated its blockade on Iranian ports.
It followed Tuesday’s strikes against Iranian military targets near the Strait of Hormuz, which CENTCOM said was an act of self-defence after Iran shot down a US military helicopter.Advertisement
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth issued similar threats, warning that Washington “will hit them hard on our terms on the targets that improve the environment for us to operate in and undermine the capabilities that Iran wants to have”.
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