The U.S. on Thursday issued new sanctions intended to hit Iran's oil exports, including what the State Department said were the first U.S. measures targeting a Chinese "teapot refinery" processing the crude.

According to the US Treasury Department, for the first time, the United States has imposed restrictions on China for purchasing oil subject to US sanctions. The sanctions were imposed on the Chinese petrochemical refinery Shandong Shouguang Luqing,