US imposes new sanctions against suppliers of weapons to Iran

The United States imposed new sanctions on Tuesday targeting 14 people and companies that help Iran obtain weapons as Tehran works to rebuild its ballistic missile inventories after US-Israeli attacks, the Treasury Department said.

The targets, which also include aircraft, are based in Iran, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates and were cited for their involvement in procuring or transporting weapons or components on Iran’s behalf, the Treasury Department said in a statement.

“As the United States continues to deplete Iran’s ballistic missile inventories, the regime is seeking to reconstitute its production capacity,” it said.

“The Iranian regime must be held accountable for its extortion of global energy markets and indiscriminate targeting of civilians with missiles and drones,” Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said in the statement.

The Treasury, he said, “will continue to follow the money and target the Iranian regime’s recklessness and those who enable it.”

Noting that Iran is increasingly relying on Shahed-series attack drones “to target the United States and its allies, including energy infrastructure in the region,” the Treasury said it was sanctioning three individuals for providing support to the Iran-based Pishgam Electronic Safeh Company, which supplies drone parts.

They were named as Kamal Sabah Balkhkanlu, a Tehran-based currency exchanger; Iranian national Mohammad Vahidi, for arranging shipments of materials; and Iranian national Danial Khalili, who was also involved in the delivery of items.

Turkish company Emti Fiber Textile Import Export Trade Limited Company was sanctioned for providing cotton linters to Iran’s defense industry that processed them into nitrocellulose, used to improve the performance of solid propellant rocket motors.

Several others were sanctioned for their ties to Mahan Air, which the Treasury said is “involved in Iran’s procurement and transport of UAV systems and weapons to and from Iran.”

Two Boeing 777 aircraft owned and operated by Mahan Air were also designated.

Under the sanctions, US persons or those within the US are prohibited from transactions that “that involve any property or interests in property of blocked persons. ”

The new sanctions come as Washington and Tehran are at a standoff over whether to begin a second round of talks to reach a deal that would keep the Strait of Hormuz open and bring an end to the US-Israel war with Iran. A two-week ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump is due to end in the coming days and he has said he is ready to resume military action.