Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrives to a press conference at the State Department, June 24, 2020 in Washington, followed by State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus and State Department Coordinator for Counterterrorism, Ambassador Nathan Sales. (MANDEL NGAN / POOL VIA AP)

WASHINGTON - US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday that the Trump administration was imposing sanctions on five Iranian ship captains who had delivered oil to Venezuela. 

Pompeo also said the United States continues to support Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido

Speaking to reporters, Pompeo also said the United States continues to support Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido. Washington seeks the ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, and most other Western governments have recognized Guaido as the legitimate leader of the OPEC nation.

He also said the US is hopeful the entire world will understand the need to extend a UN arms embargo on Iran and said Washington was willing to talk to Tehran when the time was right. 

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“I am hopeful that the whole world will accept the proposition that this arms embargo needs to be extended,” Pompeo told reporters. 

Earlier on Wednesday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani  said Iran would be open to talks with the US if Washington apologizes for exiting a 2015 nuclear deal and compensates Tehran, cautioning that US calls for discussions were insincere.

“We have no problem with talks with the US, but only if Washington fulfills its obligations under the nuclear deal, apologies and compensates Tehran for its withdrawal from the 2015 deal,” Rouhani said in a televised speech, Reuters reports from Dubai.

READ MORE: Iranian parliament backs plan to drop nuclear treaty protocol