US Announced New Large-Scale Sanctions against Iran

Sanctions are aimed at countering the nuclear threat and proliferation of missiles and conventional weapons US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced imposing new large-scale sanctions against Iran. “The Trump administration has made it clear that the United States will do everything it can to prevent the Islamic Republic of Iran, the world's leading sponsor of terrorism and anti-Semitism, from spreading death and chaos throughout the Middle East and around the world,” Pompeo said. “Instead of waiting for the day when Iran will threaten the world with nuclear weapons, the United States is taking responsible action, continuing the tradition of American global leadership.” “Today, under President Donald Trump’s leadership, the State Department, Treasury and Commerce Department have taken important action to counter Iran’s nuclear threats and proliferation of missiles and conventional weapons,” the secretary of state said. “In each of these areas, the Islamic Republic of Iran poses a unique threat to peace. The regime is using its nuclear program to blackmail the international community and threaten regional and international security. " Pompeo said Iran has the largest ballistic missile force in the Middle East and is supplying missiles and technology to players such as the Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon and Syria. "Over the past year, the United States and its partners have repeatedly intercepted Iranian weapons directed by the Houthi and demonstrated that the regime continues using its conventional arsenal to destabilize the Middle East and fuel sectarian violence and terrorism throughout the region." As the state secretary stressed, the sanctions prove that the United States will not hesitate to confront threats from Iran. US President Donald Trump has issued a new decree on Iran-related conventional arms transfers. “The UN arms embargo on Iran is being extended indefinitely and we guarantee that it will remain in effect until Iran changes its behavior. The new executive order gives us the tools to hold accountable actors seeking to evade the embargo,” Pompeo explained. According to the new decree, the State Department has sanctioned the Iranian Ministry of Defense and Logistics, the Iranian Defense Industry Organization and its director Mehrdad Ahlagi-Ketabchi, alike the Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. The State Department and the Treasury Department imposed sanctions on six individuals and three legal entities associated with Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization. The Ministry of Finance has sanctioned three more individuals and four organizations associated with Iran's Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group, which deals with liquid-fueled ballistic missiles. "We will continue and expand our sanctions until Iran is ready to complete comprehensive negotiations aimed at addressing the regime's malicious behavior," Pompeo said. - We are always open to diplomacy with Iran, but Iran must respond with diplomacy, not violence escalation, bloodshed and nuclear extortion. Until then, the maximum pressure will continue. " The sanctions against Iran were announced at a press conference at the US Foreign Office on Monday. Among persons, sanctions are being imposed against, State Secretary Pompeo also named Hamid Reza Gadirian and Ahmad Shivai, and then Minister of Commerce Wilbur Ross added to them a number of other persons associated with the Iranian laboratory "Jabber ibn Hayyan" and Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization. Following Mike Pompeo, National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien spoke at the press conference. “Today,” O'Brien said, “President Trump has taken a decisive step to limit Iran's access to technologies for the production of nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles and conventional weapons. The UN Security Council did not begin extending the embargo on the development and acquisition of weapons by Iran, and thus, unfortunately, was unable to fulfill its function of ensuring international peace and security. Unlike the UN, the United States will not allow Iran to become an importer or exporter of ballistic missiles and other advanced weapons systems and thus endanger the Middle East and the rest of the world. When the current embargo expires, Iran will certainly try to act as a global arms dealer.” O'Brien pointed out that, under the Obama administration, the White House, approved the easing of sanctions against the Ayatollah regime, instead of increasing pressure on Tehran and also provided the Islamic Republic with $ 1.8 billion cash assistance. However, the presidential adviser stressed, these funds did not go to the people of Iran but to finance military conflicts in the Middle East. “President Trump's decree,” continued Robert O'Brien, “will prevent Iran from exporting conventional weapons to various rogue regimes. It also prohibits sailing weapons to Iran by those states that produce them for export, so that Iran cannot ship these weapons to terrorists and rogue regimes. Simply put, the United States cannot stand aside and passively watch Iran destabilize the region and beyond.” US Treasury Secretary Stephen Mnuchin noted that his department has also included in the sanctions list [legal entities and individuals] those supporting Iran's nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs alike senior managers of these programs, including three directors and three legal entities subordinate to the Organization for atomic energy of Iran (AEOI). Defense Secretary Mark Esper said: “Over the past two years, Iran has carried out attacks on international shipping, regional infrastructure and on the United States military forces and its allies. These included missile strikes by militants linked to Iran against US bases and their personnel in Iraq.” “This is why the US Department of Defense is taking decisive steps to ensure protection of our brave men and women in military service in the region and to restore containment system and international rules and regulations regarding freedom of commerce and navigation.” Esper stressed.