Politics
U.S. adds new sanctions to Iran’s ballistic missile program
The U.S. Treasury Department said the decision was made after Iran attacked an Iraqi city with a dozen ballistic missiles
March 30, 2022 5:44pm
Updated: March 30, 2022 6:13pm
The Biden administration imposed new sanctions on Wednesday against a procurement agent in Iran and his network of companies after authorities accused him of supporting the country’s ballistic missile program.
In a statement, the U.S. Treasury Department said the decision was made after Iran attacked Erbil, an Iraqi city, with a dozen ballistic missiles earlier this month, which seemed to target the new U.S. consulate building.
The Treasury Department also cited the "Iranian enabled Houthi missile attack against a Saudi Aramco facility on March 25 as well as other missile attacks by Iranian proxies against Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates."
The sanctions target Mohammad Ali Hosseini and his companies that procure ballistic missile propellant-related materials for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), reported Reuters. The U.S. also sanctioned the IRGC.
"Iran's ballistic missile-related activities continue to destabilize the Middle East region, and the United States will continue to use every tool at our disposal to disrupt them," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement on Wednesday.
The sanctions freeze the U.S. assets of those targeted and prevent American citizens from dealing with them.
The decision comes as the U.S. engages in talks to reestablish a nuclear deal with Iran, called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. The original 2015 multilateral nuclear deal lifted international sanctions in exchange for Tehran’s scaling back of its nuclear program. However, in 2018, former President Donald Trump withdrew from the agreement.
"While the United States continues to seek Iran's return to full compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, we will not hesitate to target those who support Iran's ballistic missile program," said Treasury Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson. "We will also work with other partners in the region to hold Iran accountable for its actions, including gross violations of the sovereignty of its neighbors."
