The United States has sanctioned a procurement network for facilitating the export of restricted items to end users in Iran.
According to the Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control, the sanctions target three individuals and four entities linked with the transfer of U.S. technology to the Central Bank of Iran, which the U.S. government regards as a designated organization.
The agency identified the sanctioned entities as Iran-based Informatics Services Corp., Turkey-based Ted Teknoloji Gelistirme Hizmetleri Sanayi Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, Advance Banking Solution Trading and Freedom Star General Trading. The last two companies operate from the United Arab Emirates.
The department named the designated individuals as ISC Chief Executive Seyed Abotaleb Najafi, ISC employee Pouria Mirdamadi and Freedom Star President Mohammad Reza Khademi.
The Treasury noted that the Iranian bank procured goods and technologies that are subject to national security and anti-terrorism controls by the Department of Commerce.
In a statement, Brian Nelson, the undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence at the Treasury, said the CBI provides financial support to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force and Hezbollah, two actors intent on destabilizing the Middle East.
“The United States will continue to use all available means to disrupt the Iranian regime’s illicit attempts to procure sensitive U.S. technology and critical inputs,” he added.
The latest action is part of the United States’ ongoing efforts to punish the Iranian government and its proxies in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and the Gaza Strip for attacking American and Israeli targets.
The sanction blocks the designated entities and individuals’ properties in the United States, including assets controlled by U.S. persons.