Trump Announces 'Highest' Ever US Sanctions On Iran Central Bank

United States President Donald Trump on Friday announced new sanctions on Iran's central bank, calling the measures the "highest" sanctions ever imposed on a foreign country by the country. Speaking to reporters at the Oval Office in Washington, Trump said, "We have just sanctioned the Iranian national bank," later clarifying that he was referring to the Iranian central bank. "These are the highest sanctions ever imposed on a country," the president added.

Trump earlier this week announced what he said would be substantial new sanctions against Iran, in response to what US officials say was likely Iranian involvement in an attack on Saudi oil facilities. A massive drone strike on the world's largest crude-processing facility operated by Saudi Aramco on Saturday drove oil prices to their highest level in nearly four months.

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The attack had knocked out over half of Saudi Arabia's production as it cut 5.7 million barrels per day or over 5 per cent of the world's supply. Abqaiq and Khurais are main processing centres for Saudi Arabia's Arab Extra Light and Arab Light crude oil.