Outgoing U.S. administration imposes fresh sanctions on Iran

Washington, January 16 (RHC)-- The outgoing administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has imposed more sanctions on companies in Iran, China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for doing business with the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) and on three Iranian entities over conventional arms proliferation.

The U.S. State Department announced on Friday that Washington had sanctioned seven companies, including Chinese-based Jiangyin Mascot Special Steel Co., LTD and UAE-based Accenture Building Materials, and two people for shipping steel to or from Iran.  It added that the department also imposed sanctions on Mohammad Reza Modarres Khiabani, the Chief Executive Officer of IRISL.

The State Department designated Iran Transfo Company and Zangan Distribution Transformer Company for allegedly transferred (imported), directly or indirectly, to Iran grain-oriented electrical steel to at least one Iranian person on the SDN List, namely Hoopad Darya Shipping Agency Company.  It imposed sanctions on Mobarakeh Steel Company and its Chief Executive Officer Hamidreza Azimian.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement Iran's Marine Industries Organization, Aerospace Industries Organization and the Iran Aviation Industries Organization had also been blacklisted over conventional arms proliferation.  The statement claimed that these entities have manufactured military equipment for Iran's military "to perpetrate its global terror campaign."