Bloomberg
By Jeff Bliss
The department also today in a press release identified 21 entities in the insurance, investment, banking, mining and engineering industries it said are owned or controlled by the Iranian government. U.S. companies by law aren’t permitted to do business with the Iranian government and by extension now, these companies.
The U.S. has criticized Iran for years for supporting Hezbollah, Hamas and other groups the State Department lists as terrorist organizations, adding to the conflict in the Middle East.
Treasury said it will freeze the assets of four Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Ops Qods Force officers — Hossein Musavi, Hushang Allahdad, Hasan Mortezavi and Mohammad Reza Zahedi. Also sanctioned will be the Iranian Committee for the Reconstruction of Lebanon and its director, Hessam Khoshnevis; the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee Lebanon branch and its director, Ali Zuraik, and Syrian-based Iranian official Razi Musavi, Treasury said.
The Persian Gulf country is under four sets of United Nations sanctions over its nuclear program. On July 1, the U.S. passed additional sanctions targeting Iranian fuel importers and banks, while European Union governments are preparing to impose their own punitive measures.
By listing the 21 businesses, the U.S. will increase Iran’s isolation and block avenues for avoiding international punishments, said Stuart Levey, under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence.
“The government of Iran will continue efforts to evade sanctions, including using government-owned entities,” he said in a statement.
The Iranian government has said its nuclear program is for generating electricity and other peaceful purposes.
