Washington has imposed sanctions on 11 companies and individuals for helping to supply Iran’s ballistic missile program, the Treasury Department stated.
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“Iran’s ballistic missile program poses a significant threat to regional and global security, and it will continue to be subject to worldwide sanctions”, said Adam J. Szubin, acting Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, in a statement.
The move comes after media reported that Iran tested a surface-to-surface Emad (Pillar) missile in November in violation of a UN Security Council resolution.
However, the White House spokesperson said Iran has moved forward in upholding its commitments outlined in the agreement on its nuclear program.
The likely Democratic presidential nominee praised Obama after Iran released four US citizens late last week, but took a tougher stance than his administration, saying the United States should not “thank” the country for releasing prisoners “unjustly” held, according to The Hill.
US official and congressional sources said President Barack Obama’s administration had held back from taking action for more than two weeks during the tense negotiations that ultimately freed five Americans under a prisoner swap.
Clinton said, as president, her policy toward Iran would be to “distrust and verify”. At issue was money used by Iran to buy military equipment from the US before the break in ties between the countries. The Iranians also get $1.3 billion in interest. Officials view those activities as separate from the nuclear deal.
“These are important steps that make the United States, our allies, and the entire world safer”, she said. For example, Most non-American companies will now be able to do business with Iran’s energy sector. “I will vigorously enforce the nuclear deal as part of a comprehensive strategy that confronts all of Iran’s negative actions in the region and stand side-by-side with our ally Israel and our Arab partners”.
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It says the Iranian people hope that the “bitterness of filling the Arak reactor with cement will be accompanied with the sweetness of filling their table”, referring to the lifting of crippling worldwide sanctions.
