US imposes new waves of sanctions against Iran’s new ballistic missile program
New sanctions against Iran’s ballistic missile program were implemented on Wednesday by the Biden administration in response to a missile attack on Erbil, Iraq, that occurred earlier this month.
Treasury Department announced new sanctions against Iran’s Parchin Chemical Industries, as well as an Iranian intermediary involved in the procurement of propelling missile components. The new sanctions were imposed against an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps unit responsible for research and development of ballistic missiles, as well as Iran’s Parchin Chemical Industries and an Iranian intermediary involved in the procurement of propelling missile components.
In the meantime, the United States is still attempting to achieve an agreement with Iran in order to re-enter the nuclear accord, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPA). While US officials had stated earlier this month that an agreement was close to being reached, there have been indications in recent days that this may not be the case.
During an interview with CNN’s Becky Anderson in Doha on Sunday, US special envoy for Iran Robert Malley said that a nuclear deal with Tehran is “not around the corner and is not inevitable” because of lingering concerns, notably Tehran’s demands over the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
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According to a statement made by Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Sunday, the United States would continue to fight aggressive activities from Iran regardless of the outcome of the nuclear agreement. The United States and Iran will continue to cooperate and collaborate with other partners in order to confront Iran’s destabilizing actions in the area, whether a deal is reached or not, Blinken added.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the Treasury Department stated that the sanctions were implemented in response to the March 13 missile attack on Erbil. However, according to the State Department, no US facilities were struck by the missiles, which fell near a new US embassy building in Erbil that is now under construction.
Additionally, the Treasury Department noted that an Iranian-enabled Houthi missile attack against a Saudi Aramco facility on March 25, as well as other missile attacks by Iranian proxies against Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, all of which “serve as a reminder that Iran’s development and proliferation of ballistic missiles continues to pose a significant threat to international security.”
According to a statement released by the Treasury Department’s Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Brian Nelson, “While the United States continues to seek Iran’s return to full compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, we will not hesitate to target those who support Iran’s ballistic missile program.” The United States and other allies in the area will work together to hold Iran accountable for its actions, which have included flagrant violations of the sovereignty of its neighbors.
