The U.S. on Thursday issued new Iran-related sanctions, targeting entities including for the first time a Chinese "teapot," or independent refinery, and vessels that supplied crude oil to such processing plants.

Federal officials have sanctioned a Chinese oil refinery, as well as an oil storage facility and their owners to cut off Iranian revenues from illicit oil sales that violate international sanctions.

The Panama-flagged Daban, one of dozens of non-sanctioned vessels drawn to the Russian oil trade by fat margins following the January 10 U.S. sanctions, was received at a berth run by the privately-controlled Qingdao Haiye Group at the port of Qingdao, two people familiar with the matter said.