Oil prices rise in early trade, with Brent crude above $66 a barrel after the U.S. imposed fresh sanctions aimed at curbing Iranian oil exports as part of the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign on Tehran.

The United States has intensified its pressure strategy on Iran by imposing new sanctions targeting the Persian country’s crude oil sector. This time, the measures affected Iranian companies, and a Chinese refinery was accused of purchasing over one billion dollars worth of Iranian crude oil.