US imposes additional sanctions on Iran as Trump seeks negotiations.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) — The United States imposed new sanctions on Iran on Wednesday, the Treasury Department said, two days after President Donald Trump launched direct negotiations with Tehran over its nuclear program.

The government identified five businesses and one individual located in Iran for their assistance of Iran’s nuclear program, according to a Treasury statement, with the goal of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Treasury stated that the designated groups played an important role in helping two previously sanctioned companies that run Iran’s nuclear program: the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) and its subordinate, The Iran Centrifuge Technology Company (TESA).

The decision follows Trump’s surprising revelation on Monday that the US and Iran were set to begin direct negotiations on Tehran’s nuclear program, although Iran’s foreign minister stated that the talks in Oman would be indirect.

In a further indication of the rocky route to an agreement between the two geopolitical adversaries, Trump gave a harsh warning that if the talks failed, “Iran is going to be in great danger.”

The Iran Centrifuge Technology Company, which produces centrifuges, is critical to Iran’s uranium enrichment activities, according to Treasury.

The latest sanctions target Majid Mosallat, managing director of the Atbin Ista Technical and Engineering firm, which, according to Treasury, assists the firm in acquiring components from international vendors.

“The Iranian regime’s reckless pursuit of nuclear weapons continues to pose a serious threat to the United States, as well as a threat to regional stability and global security,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in the statement.