The United States has designated 44 entities and individuals involved in Iran's nuclear development and procurement of weapons and components as targets for sanctions.

The U.S. Departments of the Treasury and State announced these measures on the 1st (local time). This is to support the automatic restoration (snapback) of UN sanctions against Iran, which took effect on the 28th of last month due to Iran's non-compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

According to the announcement, the Treasury Department designated 21 entities and 17 individuals, while the State Department designated one entity and five individuals. They are accused of involvement in the illegal import of ballistic missile, helicopter, and radar components, as well as nuclear weapons research and development, respectively.

The State Department's sanctions targets include officials such as Reza Mojaffarinia, the director of the Organization for Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND), which is known to lead nuclear weapons research and development in Iran.

SPND was established by Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, an Iranian nuclear scientist assassinated by the U.S. military in 2020. Israel stated that the organization is an extension of Iran's past secret nuclear weapons program, "Project Amad," and conducted an airstrike against it during clashes in June.

Furthermore, Iranian defense industry companies under the Ministry of Defense, accused of illicitly importing U.S.-made helicopters or procuring U.S. components necessary for the manufacture of ballistic missiles and radars, along with their representatives, were included in the Treasury Department's sanctions list.

This also includes a multinational network of arms and component smugglers, such as Emily Liu, a Chinese national wanted by the FBI for allegedly transferring U.S.-made parts to Iran.

Entities and individuals subjected to sanctions will face economic isolation measures, including the freezing of their assets in the United States and secondary sanctions imposed on foreign financial institutions that engage in transactions with them.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated, "The Iranian regime's support for terrorist proxies and its pursuit of nuclear weapons threaten the security of the Middle East, the United States, and our global allies." He added, "We will block the weapons that the regime uses to pursue its nefarious objectives."

Iran Faces UN Sanctions Snapback. AFP Yonhap News.