US adds 22 companies linked to Iran and Syria to blacklist

The US Department of Commerce has blacklisted a number of companies and individuals accused of collaborating with Syria and the Islamic Republic. These individuals are accused of aiding Syria's weapons of mass destruction program and illegally transferring American goods to Iran.

The US Department of Commerce announced on Wednesday, November 14, that it had added 22 companies and individuals to its blacklist.

According to Reuters, these individuals and companies are accused of being involved in supplying materials and equipment for Syria's weapons of mass destruction program and illegally transferring goods to the Islamic Republic.

Companies and individuals blacklisted by the US Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security are required to obtain government licenses and approvals to purchase goods and equipment from American companies.

In its latest move, the office has added 22 companies and individuals from Iran, Syria, Bahrain, Turkey, Jordan, Oman, Lebanon, Pakistan, Senegal, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, France, and the United Kingdom to its blacklist.

The US Department of Commerce says that Rahal, a company active in the field of medical technology and equipment, and the Jordanian-Lebanese company SAL, which trades laboratory equipment, are accused of having contributed to the supply of materials needed for Syria's biological and chemical weapons production program.

Illegal transfer of American goods to Iran

The Ministry's Office of Industry and Security added that Al Ras Gate and Bestway Line FZCO, along with six other companies, have admitted to "knowingly" transferring American goods to Iran without obtaining a license, and for this reason they are being blacklisted.

Since withdrawing from the nuclear agreement between Iran and the P5+1 countries in May of last year, the United States has not only reimposed the lifted and suspended sanctions against the Islamic Republic, but has also increased and intensified these sanctions, especially in recent months.

Washington says the goal of these sanctions is to exert "maximum pressure" on Tehran to change the behavior of the Islamic Republic government and bring Iran to the negotiating table to reach a new and comprehensive agreement.

The United States says the sanctions, which primarily target the Islamic Republic's oil exports and financial and banking relations, have severely reduced Iran's oil revenues and put the country in dire straits.

Rouhani's confession of difficult and complicated circumstances

Although Hassan Rouhani, the 12th President of the Islamic Republic, has repeatedly called the policy of maximum pressure ineffective, he admitted in his speech in Kerman on Tuesday, November 11, that "the country's conditions are unusual, difficult, and complex" and that the Islamic Republic is going through "the most difficult days of its life."

Rouhani said that the government needs at least 450 trillion tomans to run the country, while customs and tax revenues are projected at $150 trillion.

He, who had spoken extensively about the government's dire financial situation and the sharp decline in oil revenues during his provincial trips to Yazd and Kerman, claimed on Thursday at the opening ceremony of the International Islamic Unity Conference that with patience and resistance, it is possible to withstand American pressure, and by doing so, "we have witnessed a victory and success in the country every month" over the past year.

Source: DW