The US has issued fresh sanctions against Iran, targeting its nuclear program, reported Reuters.
On Wednesday, the US Treasury Department announced it imposed sanctions on 5 entities and one individual based in Iran for supporting Tehran’s nuclear program.
In a statement, the US Treasury said that these entities include the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) and the AEOI-subordinate Iran Centrifuge Technology Company (TESA).
Meanwhile, the individual was identified as Majid Mosallat, the Chairman of the Board of Directors and Managing Director of Atbin Ista Technical and Engineering Company (AIT), which facilitates TESA’s acquisition of components from foreign suppliers, according to the statement.
In the light of this, the US Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, said: “The Iranian regime’s reckless pursuit of nuclear weapons remains a grave threat to the United States and a menace to regional stability and global security.”
The sanctions come on the heels of a surprise announcement by the US President, Donald Trump, on Monday that Washington and Tehran will hold direct talks on Iran’s nuclear program on Saturday in Oman.
However, the Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Aragchi, later said that the discussions in Oman will be indirect. “Iran and the United States will meet in Oman on Saturday for indirect high-level talks,” he wrote on X on Monday.
Reaching a deal between the US and Iran, two longstanding geopolitical foes, will not be an easy task. This is further complicated by Trump‘s warning that “Iran is going to be in great danger” if the talks were unsuccessful, signaling a military action.
