The Treasury Department has announced new sanctions against Iran after the regime performed a ballistic missile test earlier this week. From CNN:
The Treasury Department said it was sanctioning individuals and companies connected to Iran’s ballistic missile program and those providing support to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Qods Force.—The new sanctions are designed not to violate the Iran nuclear deal, which the US and five other world powers signed with Tehran during Obama’s tenure. That plan allowed for the lifting of major sanctions against Iran in exchange for a curtailment of its nuclear program.But they do represent the first concrete step in what the Trump administration has vowed will be a more aggressive approach to Iran.
Here is the full list. It includes 13 individuals and 12 entities.
These people and entities “include various agents, companies and associates involved in procuring ballistic missile technology for Iran.” Sanctions mean that “Iranians, Lebanese, Chinese and Emirati individuals and companies also are now blacklisted from doing any business in the United States or with American citizens.”
John Smith, the department’s acting sanction’s chief, stated that “Iran’s continued support for terrorism and development of its ballistic missile program poses a threat to the region, to our partners worldwide and to the United States.”
Earlier this morning, President Donald Trump and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif argued over Twitter.
Earlier this week, Iran conducted the ballistic missile test in defiance of UN resolution 2231, which the organization passed after nations and Iran agreed on a nuclear deal. The resolution states that Iran cannot perform these tests. Iran insisted no one broke the resolution since these missiles cannot “carry a nuclear warhead.”
On Wednesday, the administration officially put Iran “on notice” and Trump decided to explore options to take against the regime. Iranian officials said any sanctions would violate the nuclear deal, but the Treasury Department took steps to make sure that did not happen since the items “aren’t directed at Iran’s nuclear program.”
Iran laughed off the threats on Thursday:
“This is not the first time that an inexperienced person has threatened Iran,” [President Adviser Ali Akbar] Velayati said. “Iran is the strongest power in the region and has a lot of political, economic and military power … America should be careful about making empty threats to Iran.”He added: “Iran will continue to test its capabilities in ballistic missiles and Iran will not ask any country for permission in defending itself.”
A group of senators from both sides have encouraged Trump to take a strong stand against Iran:
“Iranian leaders must feel sufficient pressure to cease deeply destabilizing activities, from sponsoring terrorist groups to continued testing of ballistic missiles,” the lawmakers wrote.”Full enforcement of existing sanctions and the imposition of additional sanctions on Iran for its ballistic missile program are necessary,” the letter said.
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