US imposes sanctions on network sending Iranian oil to China

WASHINGTON, May 13 (Reuters) - The U.S. on Tuesday imposed sanctions on a shipping network it says has sent millions of barrels of Iranian oil to China, the State Department said, days after Iran and U.S. negotiators concluded a fourth round of nuclear talks in Oman.

The sale of the oil helped fund Iranian weapons and attacks by the Houthi militant group on shipping in the Red Sea, the U.S. Navy and Israel, it said. The network facilitated the shipment of oil worth billions of dollars to China on behalf of Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff and its front company, Sepehr Energy, it said.

Reporting by Timothy Gardner and Susan Heavey Editing by Nick Zieminski