WASHINGTON, April 21 (Reuters) – The United States imposed new sanctions on Tuesday targeting 14 people and companies that help Iran obtain weapons as Tehran works to rebuild its ballistic missile inventories after U.S.-Israeli attacks, the Treasury Department said.
The targets, which also include aircraft, are based in Iran, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates and were cited for their involvement in procuring or transporting weapons or components on Iran‘s behalf, Treasury said in a statement.
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The new sanctions come as Washington and Tehran are at a standoff over whether to begin a second round of talks to reach a deal that would keep the Strait of Hormuz open and bring an end to the U.S.-Israel war on Iran. A two-week ceasefire announced by U.S. President Donald Trump is due to end in the coming days and he has said he is ready to resume military action.
“As the United States continues to deplete Iran’s ballistic missile inventories, the regime is seeking to reconstitute its production capacity,” Treasury said.
“Iran is increasingly relying on Shahed-series one-way attack unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to target the United States and its allies, including energy infrastructure in the region.”
(Reporting by Ryan Jones and Doina Chiacu; Editing by Caitlin Webber and Michelle Nichols)
