The US has imposed sanctions on a network based in Iran and China, accusing it of obtaining ballistic missile propellant chemicals on behalf of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, as President Donald Trump’s administration looks to boost pressure on Tehran.
The U.S. Treasury Department in a statement said it was targeting six entities and six individuals as part of the action, which comes as the Trump administration has relaunched negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program.
“It also destabilizes the Middle East, and violates the global agreements intended to prevent the proliferation of these technologies.
To achieve peace through strength, Treasury will continue to take all available measures to deprive Iran’s access to resources necessary to advance its missile program.”
Tuesday’s move targeted five China-based companies, one Iran-based firm and six Iran-based people.
The Treasury accused the network of facilitating the procurement of sodium perchlorate and dioctyl sebacate from China to Iran.
It said sodium perchlorate is used to produce ammonium perchlorate, which alongside dioctyl sebacate is usable in solid propellant rocket motors, which Treasury said is commonly used for ballistic missiles.
Tuesday’s move is the latest action targeting Tehran since Trump restored his “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran, which includes efforts to drive its oil exports down to zero to help prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon.
In his first term, from 2017 until 2021, Trump withdrew from a 2015 agreement between Iran and international powers that limited Tehran’s uranium enrichment efforts in exchange for sanctions relief. Trump also reinstated sweeping US sanctions.
Western governments accuse Iran of pursuing a covert agenda to build nuclear weapons capability by enriching uranium to a high level of fissile purity that beyond what they consider acceptable for a civilian atomic energy program.
Tehran claims its nuclear program is solely for civilian power purposes.
