America Sanctions Individuals and Entities in Iran and Venezuela Involved in Drone and Missile Weapon Transactions

The U.S. government announced on Tuesday a new round of sanctions against 10 individuals and entities from Iran and Venezuela, accusing them of involvement in arms trafficking between the two countries, particularly activities related to drones and ballistic missiles. The U.S. stated that these measures aim to curb Iran's proliferation of weapons in the Western Hemisphere and further apply political and economic pressure on Iran and Venezuela.

According to the list published by the U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the sanctioned entities include the Venezuelan state airline Empresa Aeronautica Nacional SA and its chairman Gonzalez (Jose Jesus Urdaneta Gonzalez). The U.S. Treasury accused the company of maintaining and overseeing the assembly of drones from Iran's Qods Aviation Industries, which has already been subject to U.S. sanctions. The U.S. claims that the national airline and its director are suspected of coordinating with members of the Iranian and Venezuelan armed forces to produce drones within Venezuela.

Additionally, the U.S. also sanctioned three Iranian individuals for involvement in the procurement of chemicals used for ballistic missiles; two Iranian companies and three individuals were also named due to their connection with Iran's drone and aerospace programs, as well as the Rayan Fan Group, a holding company previously listed under U.S. sanctions. The U.S. Treasury stated that these individuals and entities are believed to support the operation of Iran's military-industrial complex.

In a statement, the Treasury said: "Iran continues to provide conventional weapons to Venezuela, posing a threat to U.S. interests in the Western Hemisphere, including threats to homeland security. The United States will use all available means to stop such trade."

Deputy Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Hurley (John K. Hurley), also said: "The Treasury is holding Iran and Venezuela accountable for their aggressive and reckless proliferation of deadly weapons globally. We will continue to act swiftly to cut off the access of those enabling Iran's military-industrial complex to the U.S. financial system."

Treasury officials noted that this sanction follows similar actions last October and November targeting Iran's weapons network, indicating that the U.S. will continue to limit Iran and its allies' ability to acquire and proliferate weapons through financial and economic means.

The U.S. State Department also issued a statement. State Department spokesperson Pigott (Tommy Pigott) stated that Iran continues to violate United Nations restrictions, saying "Iran continues to supply conventional weapons to Caracas, posing a threat to U.S. interests in the region." He said the latest sanctions highlight the importance of re-imposing sanctions on Iran under UN Security Council resolutions, and pointed out that the named entities and individuals show that Iran is still actively spreading combat drones and continuing to violate UN restrictions on purchasing missile-related materials.

The timing of this sanction announcement coincides with President Trump's (Donald Trump) more hardened stance toward Iran and Venezuela. Just a day before the sanctions were announced, Trump had just publicly warned that if Iran attempts to rebuild its ballistic missile inventory or resume its nuclear program, the U.S. would take military action.

"Now I hear that Iran is trying to regain strength again. If they really do so, we must take them down. We will take them down, and we will hit them hard. But I hope this doesn't happen," Trump said during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu (Benjamin Netanyahu) on Monday.

Trump also stated that he would support Israel in attacking Iran if it rearms. Earlier this year, several Iranian military facilities and weapon programs have been damaged in attacks by Israel and the U.S. Previously, the U.S. had also worked with Israel to conduct air strikes on three key Iranian nuclear facilities, leading to a ceasefire after 12 days of conflict.

In response to Trump's threats, Iran quickly responded. Iranian President Pezeshkian (Masoud Pezeshkian) posted on social media on Tuesday: "The Islamic Republic's response to any oppressive aggression will be severe and regrettable." Iran has long maintained that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes and denied seeking to develop nuclear weapons.

In addition to Iran, the Trump administration has recently increased pressure on Venezuela. The U.S. government accuses the Venezuelan government of involvement in drug smuggling and has imposed a blockade on its oil exports. Trump recently announced that the U.S. had "targeted" a dock facility inside Venezuela, allegedly used to load drug-laden ships. According to a report by CNN, the attack was carried out by the CIA using drones earlier this month, and no casualties were reported.

Additionally, U.S. Attorney General Bondi (Pam Bondi) said earlier this month that the U.S. had seized a tanker off the coast of Venezuela, which has been under U.S. sanctions for years and is responsible for transporting oil from Iran and Venezuela. In the past month, the U.S. has at least seized two tankers off the coast of Venezuela, an action taken after Trump announced a maritime blockade on the country.

The Trump administration also designated the Venezuelan government as a "foreign terrorist organization" and imposed sanctions on President Maduro (Nicolás Maduro). Venezuela has countered U.S. actions as "piracy" and accused Washington of attempting to overthrow Maduro's government.

Source: rfi

Original: toutiao.com/article/1852985212611584/

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