The US Treasury Department on Friday designated 10 companies and 17 vessels as blocked property, claiming they were involved in shipments of Iranian oil and petrochemical products.
The department said that the sanctions are designed to intensify financial pressure on Iran, including by limiting its ability to earn the energy revenue it uses to help resistance movements across the Middle East.
The department said its sanctions targeted “a significant portion” of the shadow fleet of tankers that move Iran’s petroleum exports.
US officials separately described the measures as an attempt to disrupt revenues they claim Iran uses to fund its military activities.
Tehran says its military development program is defensive. It says the unilateral sanctions by the US are part of an economic war on the people of Iran and undermine the country’s independence.
US Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen said, "In response to Iran’s attack on Israel, the United States is taking decisive action to disrupt further the Iranian regime’s ability to fund and carry out its destabilizing activity.”
“Today’s sanctions target Iranian efforts to channel revenues from its energy industry to finance deadly and disruptive activity—including development of its nuclear program, the proliferation of ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles,” he said.
“We will not hesitate to take further action to hold Iran accountable,” he added.
Earlier in the day, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the United States is “committed to curtailing Iran’s sources of revenue for its malign activities.”
“As long as Iran devotes its energy revenues to funding attacks on our allies, supporting terrorism around the world and pursuing other destabilizing actions, we will continue to use all the tools at our disposal to hold it accountable,” Blinken said, leveling baseless accusations against Iran.
MA/Press TV
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