Washington, November 25 (RHC)-- U.S. special envoy for Iran, Elliott Abrams, says Washington will impose new Iran-related sanctions on four entities in China and Russia, accusing them of promoting Tehran's missile program.

During a virtual event at Beirut Institute on Wednesday, Abrams reiterated that the pressures on Iran would continue to mount over the coming weeks and through December and January.  "We will have next week, and the week after, and the week after - all through December and January, there will be sanctions that deal with arms, that deal with weapons of mass destruction, that deal with human rights. ... So this will continue on for another couple of months, right until the end," Abrams noted.

The remarks by Abrams come as the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump still insists that all options are on the table against the Islamic Republic.

This week, the Israeli media reported that Israel and the US are planning to carry out "covert operations" and increase pressure on Tehran during Trump's final days in office.  According to the report, Tel Aviv and Washington maintain that Iran would not take any military action in response to any attack before the end of Trump's era.

This followed a New York Times report that Trump had asked his top aides, including Pompeo, about the possibility of striking Iran’s nuclear facilities.  The report said the aides dissuaded Trump by warning him that any such a move could escalate into a broader conflict in the last weeks of his presidency.

Tehran has time and again asserted that it stands ready to defend its interests in the region in the face of any aggression by the United States or its allies.