TEHRAN – As Israeli invasion of Iran escalates, the US Treasury Department has unveiled new sanctions targeting Iran’s defense sector, drawing sharp criticism from Tehran.
In a statement issued on June 21, the Bureau of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said it had approved one individual, eight entities, and designated the container as blocked property due to its alleged role in supplying machinery sensitive to Iran’s defense industry.
Shun Kai Xing, owned by Hong Kong-based Unico Shipping Co. Ltd., reportedly transported the equipment to OFAC-designated Iranian companies Rayan Roshd Afzar and Tower Sanaye Nim Resanaye Tarashe.
The US claimed that the move was part of an effort to prevent Iran from accessing dual-use technologies that support missiles and UAV programs.
Sanctions were announced days after Israeli airstrikes struck Tehran, killing civilians and Iranian military commanders in unprovoked acts of war, including residential areas.