United States Adds 14 Individuals and 17 Entities to Islamic Republic Sanctions List

The United States Department of the Treasury added the names of 14 individuals and 17 entities to the nuclear and missile sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury added these individuals and entities to the sanctions list known as SDN on Friday, the second day of Farvardin.

These sanctions are part of the United States’ continued pressure to change the behavior of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

14 individuals and 17 legal entities affiliated with the “Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research” were sanctioned for involvement in the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.

Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, who was responsible for Iran’s nuclear program until 2004, founded the “Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research” in 2011. Mohsen Fakhrizadeh is among the principal members of this organization. The Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research has approximately 1,500 employees. This organization was placed on the U.S. sanctions list in 2014.

In a statement released by the U.S. State Department, it stated: “According to documents that were recently disclosed, other aspects of Iran’s nuclear program have come to attention that have not been adequately addressed to date.”

United States Concerns Over Islamic Republic Actions

The United States says that the nuclear agreement with Iran has not had a positive impact on the behavior of this country. U.S. President Donald Trump announced America’s withdrawal from the nuclear agreement with Iran on May 8, 2018. President Trump issued orders to restore nuclear sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran on two occasions in August and November of this year.

The United States says that the Islamic Republic is the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism, continues its ballistic missile program in violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2231, and is a source of instability in the Middle East.

In recent months, several plots by individuals affiliated with the Islamic Republic to assassinate political opponents in Europe were discovered, leading to diplomatic action by France, Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands against the Iranian regime.

Iran’s missile tests have previously met with reactions from Western countries, and they have repeatedly asked the Islamic Republic to stop producing and testing these missiles.

In recent years, Iran has conducted missile tests, some of which bore the slogan “Death to Israel” inscribed in various languages, including Hebrew.

On June 21, the U.S. Secretary of State announced a new American strategy toward Iran and outlined 12 U.S. conditions for agreement with the Islamic Republic, which in fact represents a list of American demands from the Islamic Republic or, in other words, the details of changing the behavior of the Iranian regime.

Some of these conditions include stopping support for terrorism and refraining from destructive actions in the region, such as supporting Hezbollah in Lebanon and interference in regional countries.

Source: Voice of America