China News Agency, Washington, October 8 (Reporter Sha Hanting) The US Treasury Department announced on the 8th local time that it will impose sanctions on 18 major Iranian banks.

　　Finance Minister Mnuchin said in a statement that the sanctions on Iran’s 18 major banks expressed the United States’ determination to prevent Iran from "illegally acquiring" U.S. dollars.

The US sanctions on Iran will continue until Iran "stops terrorist activities and promises that it will not possess nuclear weapons."

　　According to relevant U.S. regulations, the assets of sanctioned targets in the U.S. will be frozen, and U.S. citizens will not be allowed to conduct transactions with them.

　　The statement also said that foreign companies that have business dealings with these 18 banks will be given 45 days to end their cooperative relations, otherwise they will face "secondary sanctions."

　　U.S. media cited analysis that the U.S.'s move was to include the only unsanctioned banks in Iran on the "blacklist". In the future, almost all companies that trade with Iranian financial institutions will be sanctioned by the United States.

This move will once again hit the Iranian economy severely, and even make it difficult for Iran to use foreign exchange to buy medicines and medical supplies.

　　After the United States announced the sanctions, Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif posted on social media that the United States was "trying to cut off Iran's only remaining channels for buying food and medicine."

He also said that during the new crown pneumonia epidemic, the US's actions were "crimes against humanity."

　　The US move was also opposed by France, Germany and other European countries.

　　Since the United States announced its withdrawal from the Iran nuclear agreement in May 2018, the Trump administration has successively adopted several rounds of economic sanctions against Iran, involving industries such as oil, metals, and transportation. Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei, Iran’s Foreign Minister Zarif, etc. Senior officials are also included in sanctions.

The US military's attack on Iranian senior general Soleimani in January this year caused further deterioration in US-Iranian relations.

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