The U.S. Sanctions 14 Individuals and 17 Entities Linked to Iran's Nuclear Program

On Friday, March 22, the U.S. Department of the Treasury added 14 individuals and 17 entities associated with Iran's nuclear and missile programs to the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list. According to Reuters, the Treasury Department states that some of these individuals and entities are linked to Iran's missile and defense program, including the Defense Innovation and Research Organization (SPND). In this context, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin stated that the U.S. has taken decisive action against entities and individuals at all levels connected to SPND, meaning those who support the regime's defense program. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also tweeted that the maximum pressure campaign against Iran continues with today's action against those linked to Iran's nuclear program, including scientists previously associated with the nuclear weapons program. We are continuously countering Iran's access to weapons of mass destruction proliferation capabilities and all of its illegal activities. Reports indicate that Kimia Pakhsh Shargh, Pardis Pharmaceutical Company, Pouya Electro-Saman Niroo, Sadra Research Center, Avini Group, Babaei Group, Chamran Group, Fakhar Moghaddam Group, Karimi Group, Kazemi Group, Mohahed Danesh Group, Shakri Technology and Science Research Center, Zeynaldin Group, Abou Rayhan Group, Bu Ali Group, Haydar Karar Group, and Sheikh Bahaei Technology and Science Research Center have been sanctioned. Additionally, Jalal Emami Qareh Hajilo, Seyed Asghar Hashemi Tabr, Mehdi Masoumian, Mohammad Reza Mahdipour, Akbar Matlabi Zadeh, Mohammad Javad Safari, Mansour Asgari, Mohammad Mehdi Daemi Attaran, Rouhollah Ghaderi Barami, Saeed Barji, Reza Ebrahimi, Gholam Reza Eteati, Mohammad Hossein Haghighian, and Mohsen Shafaei have also been sanctioned. According to the Wall Street Journal, U.S. officials do not say that SPND is currently working on Iran's nuclear weapons program. However, Sigal Mandelker, Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence at the Treasury, and Christopher Ford, Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Nonproliferation, state that SPND's activities indicate that Iran still considers achieving the capability to build nuclear weapons and that the country's nuclear program is not solely for energy production. Meanwhile, Iran denies any efforts to acquire nuclear weapons capability. Mr. Ford, in an interview with the Wall Street Journal, states that the continued existence of SPND highlights Iran's problem in reviving its entire weapons program if it decides to do so. This State Department official emphasizes that they are trying to maintain this capability in a virtual manner so that whenever they wish, they can resume their weapons program. The Wall Street Journal reports that some companies affiliated with SPND that were sanctioned on Friday have been active since the nuclear agreement in 2015. According to this report, Kimia Pakhsh Shargh imported equipment for transferring radioactive materials from Russia in 2017. The U.S., Russia, China, France, Britain, and Germany reached an agreement with Iran in 2015 in Vienna to resolve the Islamic Republic's nuclear crisis. Under the JCPOA, Iran accepted limitations on its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of nuclear sanctions against it. Donald Trump, the U.S. President who is critical of the nuclear agreement with Iran, withdrew from the JCPOA on May 8 last year, citing 'violations of the spirit of this agreement,' ballistic missile activities, and Tehran's negative role in the Middle East. After withdrawing from the JCPOA, the U.S. reinstated all suspended sanctions under this agreement and imposed new sanctions against individuals, entities, and institutions related to Iran's nuclear and missile programs.