Washington – U.S. sanctions network that supplied Iran with military equipment

WASHINGTON, 29 September /ATSH-DPA/ – The United States has stepped up economic pressure on Iran, imposing new sanctions on several individuals and organisations accused of aiding Tehran’s military programmes.

According to the U.S. Treasury Department, the new measures block any assets these persons and organisations hold in the U.S. and bar financial transactions with them.

In total, 10 individuals and organisations have been targeted.

The sanctioned persons and organisations are located in China, Hong Kong, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

The Treasury Department accuses them of providing equipment and parts needed for the production of weapons for Iran’s Ministry of Defence.

According to the U.S., the aim of the sanctions is to make it harder for Iran to restart its weapons programmes and to raise the costs for companies and persons who help Tehran obtain military equipment.

Washington has previously imposed a series of sanctions on individuals and organisations accused of supporting Iran.

Previous measures have affected, among others, VTB, Russia’s second-largest bank, and the Turkish bank “Golden Global Bank”.

Sanctions have also been imposed on individuals and organisations accused of supporting the Kataib Hezbollah militia in Iraq and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The U.S. has also imposed sanctions on several of Iran’s main airlines.

In total, 27 Iranian airlines have been included on the U.S. sanctions list, among them “Kish Airlines”, “Iran Airtour” and “ATA Airlines”. /