Image source: topwar.ru
Despite the fact that in recent weeks, against the background of events in Ukraine, the United States has taken several steps towards Iran and continued negotiations on a return to a multilateral nuclear deal, Washington has remained faithful to the policy of sanctions. This time they were introduced against several organizations that, according to the American authorities, are involved in the supply of materials for the Iranian ballistic missile program.
The object of US personal sanctions was a certain Mohammad Ali Hossein, who, according to American intelligence, is the main agent for the procurement of materials for Iranian ballistic missiles.
The US claims that the materials are purchased for the needs of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) unit responsible for the research and development of ballistic missiles, as well as for Parchin Chemical Industries, which is part of the Iranian Defense Industry Organization. At the same time, interestingly, the United States has recently begun to be more loyal to the IRGC. However, political games are political games, and sanctions for Washington, apparently, have already become part of the national image.
According to Brian E. Nelson, Deputy Secretary of the Treasury for Counterterrorism and Financial Intelligence, the new sanctions imposed indicate that the United States will continue to prevent Iran from developing its own ballistic missiles. Now, by the way, the United States and Iran are continuing negotiations on a nuclear deal. Washington, when Donald Trump was president of the country, withdrew unilaterally from these negotiations. After the deal was broken, Iran returned to work on its nuclear program, which could not but worry the new American authorities.
Resolute in Ukraine, in Iran, the administration of incumbent President Joe Biden has stated that it prefers the path of negotiations with the Iranian government. White House officials said the U.S. wants to return Iran to full compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. But the ballistic missile program is a separate issue, and here the United States, as noted by Deputy Finance Minister Nelson, is ready to demonstrate uncompromising determination.
Among the companies currently sanctioned in connection with the ballistic missile program are Iran's Jestar Sanat Delijan and Sina Composite Delijan Co, as well as PB Sadr Co. Now any American persons are prohibited from entering into transactions with these companies.
The United States also expressed dissatisfaction with Iran's regional policy. Only recently, several incidents have occurred in the Middle East that are associated with Tehran's actions – this is the shelling of Erbil in northern Iraq by Iranian missiles, the shelling of Saudi Arabia's oil facilities by pro-Iranian Houthi rebels using missiles and unmanned vehicles. Therefore, the United States, despite Iran's demands, still does not lift sanctions against the IRGC, which is considered responsible for all the incidents listed above. And at the same time, the US policy is such that they continue to rely on Iranian oil in order to achieve a reduction in the volume of Russian exports in the world, without reducing the overall export figures for black gold. So does the US have "complete isolation" or "cooperation" with Iran?..
