TEHRAN – The U.S. Treasury Department announced new sanctions on Wednesday targeting individuals and entities suspected of having ties to Iran.
According to official sources, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has designated 32 individuals and entities across Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, China, Hong Kong, India, Germany, and Ukraine. The United States accuses Iran of running a procurement network that helps Iran produce ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
John K. Hawley, Acting Assistant Secretary for Treasury Intelligence, reiterated the U.S. government’s position, asserting that “Iran continues to exploit the international financial system to procure components for its nuclear and conventional weapons programs.” He added that under the president’s leadership, the United States is pursuing a “maximum pressure” campaign aimed at neutralizing what he called the “nuclear threat” from Tehran. The United States bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities in June. President Donald Trump claimed the attack “annihilated” Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
Iranian officials have consistently denied these claims, insisting that the country’s missile and drone programs are purely defensive. It also emphasizes that Iran’s nuclear activities are carried out under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and are strictly for peaceful purposes.
The U.S. move comes as Iranian officials argue that despite economic pressure, Iran is increasing oil revenues, increasing infrastructure investment and becoming more resilient to unilateral U.S. sanctions. Tehran also notes that it is developing advanced indigenous defense capabilities to respond to hostile threats.
Just last week, energy monitoring firm Tanker Trackers reported that Iran’s oil exports reached an estimated 2.3 million barrels per day in October, the highest export volume for the heavily sanctioned country in seven years.