Iran accused the US of acting illegitimately and bullying in its response to the first sanctions imposed by the Trump administration against its oil trade. The US on Thursday blacklisted three ships, an Indian master, shipowners and managers in the first targeting of shipping under the new president.

The US has re-imposed sanctions on Iran, targeting entities involved in the sale and transportation of Iranian crude oil to China, while Iran has urged OPEC to unite against these measures.

President Donald Trump’s maiden sanctions package targeting a handful of vessels carrying Iranian oil stopped short of the “maximum pressure” campaign his administration had pledged, according to shippers and analysts.