The United States on Wednesday announced sanctions against 32 firms and individuals based in six countries, including India, for allegedly supporting Iran's ballistic missile and drone production.
The US Department of State, in a statement, said that the fresh action was in support of the United Nations reinstating an arms embargo and other sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme in September this year.
Without mentioning the names or any details of the firms and individuals sanctioned, the US administration said it was imposing sanctions on firms and individuals for operating "multiple procurement networks supporting Iran’s ballistic missile and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) production, including on behalf of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)."
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Apart from India, the sanctions have been imposed against entities and individuals based in China, Hong Kong, the UAE and Turkey.
"Today’s action supports the September 27 reimposition of United Nations sanctions and restrictive measures on Iran in response to Iran’s “significant non-performance” of its nuclear commitments. These UN sanctions directly address the threats posed by Iran’s nuclear, ballistic missile, conventional arms, and destabilizing activities," the US government statement said.
“This action is also in furtherance of President Trump’s National Security Presidential Memorandum-2 to counter Iran’s aggressive development of missiles and other asymmetric and conventional weapons capabilities and deny the IRGC access to assets and resources that sustain their destabilizing activities,” the statement added.
{{/usCountry}}“This action is also in furtherance of President Trump’s National Security Presidential Memorandum-2 to counter Iran’s aggressive development of missiles and other asymmetric and conventional weapons capabilities and deny the IRGC access to assets and resources that sustain their destabilizing activities,” the statement added.
{{/usCountry}}Last month, eight Indian nationals and several India-based firms were sanctioned by the US for allegedly facilitating Iranian energy trade. The State Department imposed sanctions on approximately 40 entities, individuals and vessels to "deny the Iranian regime funds it uses to conduct its malign activity."
In similar such sanctions this July, the US announced sanctions against at least six Indian firms for alleged trade of Iranian petroleum or petrochemical products. Apart from targeting the Indian firms, the US Department of State imposed sanctions against over two dozens based in Turkey, the UAE, China, and Indonesia.