From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, March 30, 2022
US slaps sanctions on suppliers of Iran’s ballistic missile program
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WASHINGTON — The United States announces sanctions targeting several entities it says are involved in procuring supplies for Tehran’s nuclear program.
The move “reinforces” Washington’s commitment to prevent Iran from developing ballistic missiles, says the Treasury’s undersecretary for terrorism Brian Nelson in a statement.
He says that while the United States continues to seek “Iran’s full return” to the 2015 nuclear deal, it “will not hesitate to target those who support Iran’s ballistic missile program.”
“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,” he says.
The sanctions target Iranian national Mohammad Ali Hosseini and his “network of companies” as suppliers of the program, according to the statement.
They follow “Iran’s missile attack on Arbil, Iraq on March 13 and 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,” it says.
Iran has claimed responsibility for the March 13 missile strikes, saying they targeted an Israeli “strategic center” and warning of more attacks.
The sanctions come at a time when the United States seems close to an agreement with Tehran on returning to the nuclear deal, which former president Donald Trump unilaterally exited from in 2018.
The Times of Israel Community.