WASHINGTON, Nov 17 (Reuters) - The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on over a dozen companies based in China, Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates that Washington accused of facilitating the sale of Iranian petrochemicals and petroleum products to buyers in East Asia.The latest U.S. move against Iranian oil smuggling comes as efforts to revive Iran's 2015 nuclear deal have stalled and ties between the Islamic Republic and the West are increasingly strained as Iranians keep up anti-government protests.The U.S. Treasury Department in a statement said the 13 companies designated on Thursday facilitated the sales of hundreds of millions of dollars worth of Iranian petrochemicals and petroleum products to buyers in East Asia on behalf of companies under U.S. sanctions, including the National Iranian Oil Company and Triliance Petrochemical Co. Ltd."Today's action further demonstrates the complex sanctions evasion methods Iran employs to illicitly sell petroleum and petrochemical products," the Treasury's Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Brian Nelson, said in the statement.Among those designated were United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong-based companies the Treasury accused of being tied to Triliance Petrochemical Co. Ltd., the latest action targeting what Washington says is the Hong-based firm's evasion of U.S. sanctions.China-based East Asia Trading Import and Export Trade Co., Ltd. is also on the list, with Washington accusing it of facilitating a shipment of petroleum to a foreign customer for the National Iranian Oil Company and its marketing arm."