WASHINGTON (AFP) – Washington on Friday announced new economic sanctions targeting Iranian companies and individuals involved in the production of Shahed combat drones, as well as an attempted cyber attack targeting key US infrastructure.
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The sanctions target six individuals and five companies headquartered in Iran and Hong Kong.
Some individuals and companies have been accused of carrying out a series of cyber attacks in the United States and other countries, while another group has been accused of supplying components to Iran to build its drones, according to two separate reports released by the Treasury Department.
Those individuals and entities are accused of having links to or belonging to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Brian Nelson, the Treasury's assistant secretary for economic intelligence and terrorism, said in a statement: “The deliberate targeting of critical infrastructure by Iranian cyber actors is unacceptable and dangerous. The United States will not tolerate such actions and will use all available tools. Hold those responsible accountable.”
As for the production of Shahed drones, the US sanctions mainly target Chinese companies based in Hong Kong.
The companies have been accused of supplying equipment to companies and individuals targeted by US sanctions.
The sanctions also target a company suspected of being linked to the Revolutionary Guards registered in China, accused of selling hundreds of millions of dollars worth of Iranian raw materials on behalf of the guard, China Oil and Petroleum.
These sanctions lead to the freezing of all assets, directly or indirectly, in the United States by the individuals and entities involved, as well as prohibiting any entity or person in the United States from conducting financial transactions with these entities.
© 2024 AFP
