Iran's Reaction to New US Sanctions

In response to the US's imposition of new sanctions against the Islamic Republic's missile programs, Iran declared that no action will deprive it of its legitimate and legal rights to strengthen its defense capabilities and national security. According to IRNA, the official news agency of the Islamic Republic, Hossein Jaberi Ansari, spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, stated that Iran's missile program is unrelated to the JCPOA and does not violate UN Security Council Resolution 2231. Jaberi Ansari described these actions as 'anti-Iranian' and claimed that the era of such confrontations and threats against Iran has 'come to an end,' asserting that Iran's defensive and non-aggressive capabilities are a significant factor for stability and security in the region amid what he termed a 'severe and dangerous security situation.' The US Treasury Department blacklisted two Iranian companies for supporting Iran's ballistic missile program and also sanctioned four other companies and two British traders for assisting Mahan Airlines, which is accused of collaborating with the IRGC. Following the conclusion of nuclear talks between Iran and six world powers, the UN Security Council issued Resolution 2231, which calls on Tehran to refrain from activities related to ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons for eight years. However, some analysts believe that the 'recommendations' of Resolution 2231 are not binding for Iran. According to Reuters, the US has sanctioned the 'Shahid Nouri Industries' and 'Shahid Movahed Industries,' which are subsidiaries of the Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group, accused by Washington of being the main entity related to Iran's ballistic missile program. The Al-Ghadir Air Force Base of the IRGC was also added to the sanctions list due to its effective role in launching the Emad precision-guided ballistic missile. The US Treasury also sanctioned John James Ashfield and John Edward Meadows, two British traders accused of assisting Mahan Airlines. Two companies based in the UK and two in the UAE have also been sanctioned for similar reasons. The new US sanctions come after the IRGC conducted missile tests about two weeks ago, which faced significant reactions and criticisms from the international community. The US permanent representative to the UN stated that the issue of these tests would be raised in the Security Council, a meeting that took place on March 15 but ended without results. Hossein Jaberi Ansari characterized the Islamic Republic's missile activities as solely for safeguarding national sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, as well as combating terrorism and extremism, in line with regional and global common interests. A group of Republican senators in the US has begun supporting a proposal that would require the Obama administration to enforce stricter sanctions against the sectors of Iran's economy and industry involved in ballistic missile production.