UPDATED ON:
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
23:55 Mecca time, 20:55 GMT
 
News Americas
US slaps sanctions on Iranian firm
The US sanctions come in response to Iran's alleged nuclear weapons programme [AFP]

The US government has imposed financial sanctions on an Iranian shipping line and its associated companies for allegedly helping to transfer military-related cargo to Iran.

The US state department and the treasury said on Wednesday that the sanctions are against the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) and 18 affiliates.

The companies are accused of shipping to Iran's defence ministry and its Armed Forces Logistics, a group involved with the research, development and production of Iranian missiles.

Bank accounts and other financial assets belonging to the company and its listed affiliates that are operating in the United States will be frozen as a result of the sanctions.

American citizens are not permitted to deal with the companies targeted by the new sanctions.

Shipments 'concealed'

The sanctions come in response to US allegations that Iran is supporting terrorist organisations and seeking to build a nuclear weapon.

Iran denies claims by Washington that it is aiming to build a nuclear weapon and says that its uranium enrichment programme is designed to produce electricity.

The US alleges that IRISL falsified documents to conceal its cargo to the Iranian defence ministry and Armed Forces Logisitics.

"Not only does IRISL facilitate the transport of cargo for UN designated proliferators, it also falsifies documents and uses deceptive schemes to shroud its involvement in illicit commerce," Stuart Levey, the US treasury's undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said in a statement.

IRISL's actions are part of a broader pattern of deception and fabrication that Iran uses to advance its nuclear and missile program," he said.

 Source: Agencies
Feedback Number of comments : 3
 
mohammed seif
Tanzania
11/09/2008
sanction on iranian firms
it's the obvious game again of the american war against those who stand against them! they always come up with false accusations to justify their actions and reactions -,like what we saw in iraq some years to come they will say they had misinfromed heh heh!

Twice Stung
Canada
10/09/2008
Same Old, Wearing Thin
Yeah, yeah, we've heard. And Iraq has weapons of mass destruction. Doesn't the United Hates have the imagination to even come up with a different joke?

Sherpa-Karma Kunga Dondrub
Canada
11/09/2008
Alleged
The US sanctions come in response to Iran's alleged nuclear weapons programme. Exactly,'alleged'. Just like the WMD in Iraq... And the bad bad men from the make believe caves complexes that Don Rumsfeld lied bold faced to the American people.

 
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