US Slaps Sanctions on Iran – Once Again

The US treasury and state departments slapped a new set of sanctions on 18 individuals and entities involved with the ballistic missile program on Tuesday. This comes soon after US recertified the nuclear deal between the two countries and other nations.

The US treasury department said it was targeting persons and entities supporting Iranian military and Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps. The US state department charged Iran of carrying out activities which “undermined” the regional stability in West Asia.

The entities sanctioned by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) include a Turkey based distribution company of marine equipment, Ramor Group and four Chinese companies. The sanctions will freeze the assets of these individuals or entities within US jurisdiction and forbid US companies to do any business with them.

The sanctions come after the US administration, led by President Donald Trump, said Iran was complying with the nuclear agreement but was not adhering to the “spirit” of the deal and that the US was looking for ways to strengthen it.

According to the terms of the 2015 Iran deal, the US had agreed to lift nuclear related economic sanctions after Iran agreed to limit its nuclear program. Trump had opposed the deal at that time and said he will abandon it.  He had not done so, thus far.

This is second time the US has recertified the deal since April this year. The deal requires assessment after every 90 days. The other signatories, including Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the European Union, have said Iran is adhering to the terms of the deal. The review of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) is expected to complete before the next certification due in October.

In an interview with CNN, Iran’s foreign minister Javad Zarif said Iran was complying with the deal and the US was in the violation of the agreement. "That is violation of not the spirit but of the letter of the JCPOA of the nuclear deal," Zarif said.

The US’ fresh sanctions on Iran, which it despises on several accounts, also come at a time when its ally Israel opposed US-Russia brokered ceasefire in the southwestern Syria. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his friends in Washington have expressed “fear” that the arrangement may help Iran gain a “stronghold” in the region.

“There’s a shared interest that we have with Israel, making sure that Iran does not gain a foothold, military base-wise, in southern Syria,” White House press secretary Sean Spicer said on Monday.