US issues new Iran sanctions as Trump says talks with Tehran going 'very well'

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that his administration was in talks with Iranian representatives, telling reporters: "We are doing very well with Iran."

His comments came as the US Treasury Department imposed new Iran-related sanctions on eight entities based in Canada, according to a notice on its website.

In a separate move on Friday, the Treasury blocked US banks from dealing with MEXC Global, a cryptocurrency exchange registered in the Seychelles.

It accused the exchange of handling at least $16bn in illegal transactions linked to Iran, North Korea and Russia, helping them get around sanctions.

On Thursday, the Treasury sanctioned companies and individuals in India and Turkey that it accused of helping Iran evade restrictions on its oil exports and airlines.