Washington (agencies)
The United States has imposed sanctions on an Iranian-based man and his network of companies, accusing it of helping Tehran obtain components for its ballistic missile program, in a move that comes after missile attacks by suspected proxy groups on behalf of Iran.
And the US Treasury said, in a statement, issued in conjunction with the stalled talks on reviving the Iranian nuclear agreement concluded in 2015, that it took this decision after the Iranian missile attack on Erbil in Iraq.
The ministry said the sanctions target Mohammad Ali Hosseini, an Iran-based purchasing agent, and a network of companies that the ministry says he uses to purchase materials related to ballistic missile propulsion devices and other components to support Iran’s missile program. The Treasury also accused him of purchasing materials for a unit of the Revolutionary Guards, which is responsible for research and development of ballistic missiles. The Revolutionary Guards are already subject to US sanctions. A US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the sanctions were not linked to efforts to revive the nuclear deal under which Iran limited its nuclear program in a way that made it more difficult for its ability to develop a nuclear bomb, in exchange for relief from global economic sanctions.
“As the United States continues to seek to bring Iran back into full compliance with the JCPOA, we will not hesitate to target those who support Iran’s ballistic missile program,” Brian Nelson, Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, said in a statement.
Yesterday’s steps are freezing any assets in the United States owned by those who have been sanctioned and preventing Americans, in general, from dealing with them. The Treasury said that those involved in certain transactions with them may also be sanctioned.
#sanctions #target #Irans #ballistic #missile #program