The Biden administration on Wednesday unveiled new sanctions targeting Iran’s ballistic missile and drone programs as the United States and dozens of other partners vowed to continue to counter those programs as a set of United Nations restrictions expired.
The US Treasury Department said in a news release that it was imposing the sanctions on “11 individuals, eight entities, and one vessel based in Iran, Hong Kong, the People’s Republic of China (PRC), and Venezuela that are enabling Iran’s destabilizing ballistic missile and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) programs.”
In a separate move, the US State Department imposed sanctions on two Iranian officials “for engaging in activities that have materially contributed to Iran’s missile program,” as well as on “two Iran-based entities and four Russia-based entities.” Russia has been using Iranian drones in its war in Ukraine.
The announcement of the new sanctions comes on what is known as “Transition Day,” when the remaining UN restrictions on Tehran’s ballistic missile program from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal lapse. It also comes as tensions in the region have escalated dramatically following Hamas’ deadly attacks on Israel and as Tehran threatens to join the war.
Iran has increasingly violated the terms of nuclear agreement in the eight years since its adoption, particularly after the US withdrew from the deal under the presidency of Donald Trump. Efforts in recent years to restore the deal have collapsed and Tehran has increasingly grown its nuclear program in violation of the limits of the deal.
In light of this, countries like Germany, France, and the United Kingdom – known as the E3 – and the US have said they will maintain similar constraints on Iran’s missile program through their own national sanctions, despite the expiration of the UN restrictions.
A senior…
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