The United States has imposed sanctions on 30 foreign companies or individuals for transferring sensitive technology to Iran to be used in its missile program or for violating export controls on Iran, North Korea and Syria, the State Department said on Friday.
In a statement released Friday, the State Department said it has sanctioned 11 companies or individuals from China, North Korea or the United Arab Emirates for transferring technology to Tehran that could further the country’s ballistic missile program.
The 19 other firms or individuals are believed to have either transferred to or received from Iran, North Korea or Syria illicit goods banned under previous US sanctions.
“These determinations underscore that the United States continues to regularly impose sanctions under existing authorities, as warranted, against entities and individuals that engage in proliferation activity with Iran, North Korea and Syria,” the statement read.
The Assad regime, Sudan, and Iran are blacklisted by the US State Department for supporting and sponsoring terrorism.
The US State Department warned that the activities of these regimes risk destabilizing and fueling regional conflicts, and that they pose a significant threat to the security of the region and safety of their peoples.
France and Britain have previously submitted a draft resolution to the UN Security Council seeking to impose new sanctions on the Assad regime for human rights violations, war crimes and the use of chemical weapons.
The draft resolution proposed targeted sanctions – a travel ban and asset freeze – on 11 Assad regime military commanders and officials, as well as on 10 regime and related entities accused of developing and producing chemical weapons and the missiles to deliver them. It also proposed a ban on the supply and sale of helicopters or spare parts to the Assad regime.
The list of the Assad regime’s military officials included Colonel Mohammed Bilal, Amr Armanazi, Major General Ghassan Abbas, and Bayan Bitar. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department + Agencies)
