London, June 29 (RHC)-- Brian Hook, the U.S. Special Representative for Iran, has said the United States will sanction any country that imports oil from the Islamic Republic and there are no exemptions in this regard.

"We will sanction any imports of Iranian crude oil... There are right now no oil waivers in place," Brian Hook said on Friday in London when asked about the sale of Iranian crude to Asia. He added that the United States would investigate reports of Iranian crude going to China.

Speaking to reporters, Hook said: "We will sanction any illicit purchases of Iranian crude oil." U.S. President Donald Trump this week announced new sanctions against Iran targeting Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and top commanders of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC).

Trump said the sanctions would have been imposed regardless of the Tehran's recent downing of a surveillance U.S. drone by the IRGC. He said the Leader of the Islamic Revolution was ultimately responsible for what Trump called "the hostile conduct of the regime."

Earlier, Iran warned that the new U.S. sanctions meant “closing the doors of diplomacy” between Tehran and Washington. Meanwhile, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani denounced the Trump administration as being “afflicted by mental retardation.”