Iran on Sunday sanctioned 15 American companies over their alleged ties to the “Zionist regime” and support for terrorism, the Associated Press reported.
The sanctions prohibit the targeted businesses from engaging with Iranian firms and subject their assets to possible seizure. The measure is considered to be “symbolic,” the AP noted, as none of the companies actually operate in Iran. Current and former directors of the named companies will not be eligible for visas into the Islamic Republic.
“The sanctioned companies have, directly and/or indirectly, been involved in the brutal atrocities committed by the Zionist regime in the occupied Palestinian territories, or they have supported the regime’s terrorist activities and Israel’s development of Zionist settlements on the Palestinian soil,” Iran’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
Iran is seemingly targeting American firms in retaliation for sanctions imposed by the U.S. government in February on some two dozen Iranian entities that support terrorism and aid Iran’s illicit ballistic missile program.
The companies targeted by Iran include ITT Corporation, which makes components for energy, transportation, and industrial markets; defense contractor Raytheon; United Technologies, a defense and construction conglomerate; RE/MAX, a real estate giant; and Osh Kosh, a Wisconsin-based truck manufacturer.
While U.S. sanctions related to Iran’s nuclear program were lifted as part of the 2015 nuclear agreement, the U.S. is still authorized to sanction Tehran for its other destabilizing activities, as then-Secretary of State John Kerry told a Senate hearing in 2015.
Iranian regime makes it easier to rebuild sanctions pressure. Announces sanctions against 15 US companies. https://t.co/GwZONGLqdP
— Mark Dubowitz (@mdubowitz) March 26, 2017
[Photo: Fars News ]