The U.S. and the European Union (EU) have imposed new sanctions on Iran and Russia. The move came after foreign media reports from the U.S. that Iran recently supplied a large amount of ballistic missiles to Russia.
The U.S. Treasury Department announced on the 10th (local time) that it will add 10 Iran and Russian individuals and six companies involved in military support to Russia, including Iran’s supply of ballistic missiles to Russia, and four ships involved in the delivery of Iranian weapons parts and weapons systems to Russia. Those included in the U.S. sanctions will be frozen, and transactions with Americans and entry into the U.S. will be prohibited.
“Today, the United States and its allies take coordinated action in response to Iran’s reckless decision to spread ballistic missiles against Russia,” Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said. “Iran’s missiles to Russia are used in Russia’s invasion of Daewoo Crimea.”
The U.S. Department of State has sanctioned three entities, Iran Airlines, Iran’s national carrier, and two Russian-based shipping companies involved in the arms trade between Iran and Russia. It also sanctioned five ships belonging to a Russian shipping company involved in supplying Iran’s weapons to Russia.
The move came after the New York Times and other U.S. media reported earlier that Iran had shipped hundreds of short-range ballistic missiles to Russia on the 7th. Iran and Russia have denied such reports.
Some U.S. partners will take measures to further restrict Iranian Air’s entry into the country. First of all, France, Germany, and the U.K. are expected to impose restrictions on Iranian Air’s entry into the country.
The EU is also poised to strongly respond to the move. The EU’s foreign ministry, the Office of External Relations (EEAS), has proposed new sanctions against Iran to EU member states at the behest of Rousseff Borrell, the EU’s top foreign minister. Enforcement of the sanctions requires unanimous consent from the 27 member states.
EEAS spokesman Peter Stano said, “High Representative Borrell has been constantly warning against the decision to transfer ballistic missiles in bilateral contact with Iranian partners,” noting that the transfer constitutes a violation of the UN Charter and international law.
SOPHIA KIM
US ASIA JOURNAL
