US steps up sanctions as Mideast attacks flare
AFP | Washington
The United States issued new Iran-related sanctions yesterday, taking aim at the procurement of machinery for the country's defense industry at a time when war is flaring in the Middle East.
The US Treasury Department said it was targeting an individual and eight entities over their roles in the sourcing and transshipment of 'sensitive machinery for Iran's defence industry.'
'The United States remains resolved to disrupt any effort by Iran to procure the sensitive, dual-use technology, components, and machinery that underpin the regime's ballistic missile, unmanned aerial vehicle, and asymmetric weapons programs,' said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in a statement.
He added that Treasury would continue to target Iran's ability to make and proliferate such weapons, 'which threaten regional stability and global security.'
The action comes as conflict is heating up in the Middle East. Iran has been firing daily missile salvos at Israel for the past week, since a wide-ranging Israeli attack on the Islamic Republic's nuclear installations and military bases triggered war.
The Treasury's latest targets included Iranian firm Towse Sanaye Nim Resanaye Tarashe and Hong Kong-based Unico Shipping Co, whose vessel was carrying machinery for a designated company.
In a separate statement, the Treasury Department said it imposed sanctions directed at Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels as well -- on four individuals, 12 entities and two vessels that imported oil and other illicit goods in support of the group.
'The Houthis rely on a series of front companies and trusted facilitators to clandestinely generate revenue, procure weapons components, and advance their reign of terror in partnership with the Iranian regime,' said US Deputy Treasury Secretary Michael Faulkender.
He said the latest move was the department's 'most significant to date against the group.'
In a separate statement, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce added that Washington seeks to deprive the Huthis of 'resources they need to carry out their reckless and destabilizing actions.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Tribune
6 hours ago
- Daily Tribune
IAEA Chief Warns of Nuclear Fallout Risk After Israeli Strikes on Iranian Nuclear Sites
Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has issued a grave warning over the risk of nuclear contamination following Israeli airstrikes on several nuclear sites in Iran, calling the situation "extremely dangerous" and urging restraint to avoid triggering a regional nuclear crisis. Speaking at an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council, Grossi confirmed that while no off-site radiological release has yet been detected, the safety of Iran's nuclear facilities has been severely compromised. He warned that continued attacks could lead to major radioactive fallout with wide-ranging consequences. 'The radiation, primarily consisting of alpha particles, poses a significant danger if inhaled or ingested,' said Grossi. 'Chemical toxicity inside the affected facilities is also a major concern.' Damage at Multiple Sites The IAEA chief reported that the Natanz nuclear facility, targeted in the Israeli strikes, suffered internal chemical and radiological contamination, although external radiation levels remain within normal limits. Four buildings at the Esfahan site were also damaged in the June 13 attacks. At Fordow—one of Iran's key uranium enrichment sites—no damage has yet been reported. Grossi particularly emphasized the potential danger to the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, an operational reactor housing thousands of kilograms of nuclear material. 'A direct hit on Bushehr could lead to a very high release of radioactivity into the environment,' he cautioned, noting that even disabling the plant's two power supply lines could trigger a reactor core meltdown. 'Protective actions such as evacuations, sheltering, or iodine distribution could be necessary across distances of several hundred kilometres.' He added that an attack on the Tehran Nuclear Research Reactor could have catastrophic consequences for the capital and its population. A Call for Restraint Grossi reiterated the IAEA's position that armed attacks on nuclear facilities must never occur, calling on all parties to exercise maximum restraint. He warned that escalating military actions threaten not only civilian safety but also ongoing diplomatic efforts to curb nuclear proliferation. 'Military escalation delays indispensable work toward a diplomatic solution for the long-term assurance that Iran does not acquire a nuclear weapon,' he said. He added that the IAEA remains prepared to enforce a 'watertight inspections regime' that could support a long-term agreement and prevent nuclear weapons development. Grossi stressed that a diplomatic resolution remains within reach—if political will is present. 'This opportunity should not be missed,' he urged. 'The alternative is a protracted conflict and a looming nuclear threat that would erode the Non-Proliferation Treaty and destabilize the entire region.' The warning comes amid heightened tensions between Iran and Israel, with concerns mounting that further strikes could push the Middle East closer to an unprecedented nuclear emergency.
Daily Tribune
6 hours ago
- Daily Tribune
Israeli military says killed Iran's Hamas coordinator
Israel's military said Saturday it had killed a top Iranian commander in charge of military coordination with Palestinian militant group Hamas in a strike on Qom, south of Tehran. Israeli "fighter jets struck and eliminated in the area of Qom the commander of the Palestine Corps of the Quds Force, and the key coordinator between the Iranian regime and the Hamas terrorist organisation, Saeed Izadi", the military said in a statement. The Quds Force is the foreign operations arm of Iran's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Izadi, who is under US and British sanctions, was described by the Israeli military as "one of the main orchestrators of the October 7th massacre and one of the few people who knew about it in advance". Iran has repeatedly rejected accusations that it was involved in Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack that sparked the ongoing war in Gaza. Izadi "was responsible for military coordination between the senior commanders of the IRGC and the Iranian regime with key figures in the Hamas terrorist organisation," the Israeli military said. The Israeli military added that he had directed Hamas forces operating from Lebanon, and helped Hamas rebuild its armed wing in Gaza. A military official told reporters during a briefing Saturday that Israel had killed two other Iranian commanders overnight, Behnam Shahriyari and Aminpour Judaki. Shahriyari was the head of Unit 190 in Iran's Quds Force, whose goal was to "annihilate Israel", the official said. "What Izadi was for Hamas, Shahriyari was for Hezbollah," the official said on condition of anonymity, adding that he "was responsible for transferring funds to these terror organisations who aimed to destroy Israel". Judaki was in charge of the drone unit in the IRGC, said the official, adding that he was "responsible for hundreds of UAV attacks against Israel". Iran did not confirm the deaths of its three commanders, nor their role in its military organisation. Fighting between the two foes began last week when Israel launched a massive wave of strikes on Iran, arguing that Tehran was on the verge of developing nuclear weapons. The Israeli military campaign has combined targeted assassinations of key Iranian military personnel, destruction of Iran's air defences and repeated strikes on nuclear sites. The death toll in Israel from retaliatory Iranian missile strikes since June 13 is 25 people, according to authorities. Iran said on Sunday that Israeli strikes had killed at least 224 people, including military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians, but the toll has not been updated since.
Daily Tribune
6 hours ago
- Daily Tribune
Internet partially restored in Iran: UK-based watchdog
Internet service was partially restored in Iran on Saturday, after Tehran imposed a blackout during its war with Israel, London-based online watchdog NetBlocks said. "Metrics show a partial restoration in internet connectivity in Iran after a ~62 hour government-imposed shutdown," NetBlocks posted on social media. "However, service remains diminished in some areas and overall connectivity remains below ordinary levels," the internet watchdog added. Iran on Thursday imposed a "nationwide internet shutdown" according to NetBlocks, resulting in the most extensive blackout since widespread anti-government protests in 2019. On Saturday, access to the internet remained highly unstable and patchy in Tehran, with many websites still inaccessible, according to AFP journalists. Israel launched strikes over a week ago against Iran, claiming its long-time rival was close to developing a nuclear weapon, which Iran denies. The two arch-foes have since exchanged waves of deadly strikes, with the US mulling whether or not to enter the war. In Iran, people fleeing Israel's attacks described frightening scenes and difficult living conditions, including food shortages and limited internet access. Earlier on Saturday, NetBlocks said the internet shutdown had "severely limit(ed) the public's ability to express political viewpoints, communicate freely, and follow safety alerts."
