New US sanctions against Iran come at the same time as calls for the release of American prisoners
The United States has imposed new sanctions on Iran, even as Washington has offered to help Iran fight the coronavirus pandemic and has also called on the Islamic Republic to release American prisoners.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the imposition of new sanctions against Iran at a press conference yesterday, Tuesday, March 17.
He stressed that Washington will continue its “maximum pressure” campaign to reduce Iranian oil sales to zero. The campaign began in 2018 with the inauguration of Donald Trump and his unilateral withdrawal from the nuclear deal with Iran, and aims to limit Iran’s nuclear and missile programs, as well as its activities in the region.
The US Secretary of State said that the department's new blacklist includes nine legal entities in South Africa, Hong Kong and China, as well as three Iranian individuals who have "significant transactions" in the petrochemical sector with Iran.
Pompeo did not name the individuals, but said the blacklist also included the “Armed Forces Social Security Investment Corporation” and its director.
In addition, the US Treasury Department added six individuals, including five Iranian nuclear scientists, and 18 companies associated with the US “Entities List” that have contributed to Iran’s nuclear program, as well as Pakistan’s missile and unsecured nuclear program, and have also worked to modernize the Russian military.
The US Treasury Department, without naming these individuals and companies, said that this list includes one company in Iran, two entities in China, nine entities in Pakistan, and five entities in the United Arab Emirates, and was applied with the aim of restricting and reducing the export of raw and essential materials to these companies.
These foreign companies are subject to sanctions from receiving all or part of the materials they need through exports from the United States, unless the exporters can secure the necessary licenses.
This is while last Monday, an informed source, who did not want to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue, said that it was unlikely that the United States would respond positively to China's request to ease sanctions against Iran due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has sent letters to the leaders of several countries regarding the status of the fight against the coronavirus, writing that US sanctions have hindered the country's fight against the coronavirus.
Pompeo also called on Iran to release American citizens imprisoned in Iran due to the coronavirus outbreak, adding that Washington is aware that the Islamic Republic is considering releasing American prisoners in Iran.
According to the latest official statistics, more than 16,000 people have been identified with the coronavirus in Iran so far, and 988 people have died.
Source: DW
