Despite the drama unfolding in recent weeks in the United States around the riots in the Capitol, the White House continues to impose more and more sanctions on Iran. According to sources familiar with the matter, today (Friday) are expected to announce additional sanctions related to conventional weapons and the metals industry.
The sources, who wished to remain anonymous, did not provide details on the sanctions, but also last week sanctions were imposed on Iran’s steel industry, with Iranian and Chinese manufacturers contributing to Iran’s steel industry entering the list – Foreign Asset Control (OFAC), China graphite electrode supplier, key component In the production of steel, and 12 Iranian manufacturers of steel products and other metals and three foreign ones – sales agents of an Iranian holding and mining company.
“The Iranian metals sector is an important source of income for the Iranian regime, generating wealth for its corrupt leaders and funding a variety of activities, including the development and delivery of weapons of mass destruction, support for foreign terrorist groups, a variety of human rights violations, at home and abroad.”
As you may recall, the International Atomic Energy Agency said this week that Iran has significantly increased its uranium enrichment rate in recent times. The IAEA also stated that it is estimated that within a few weeks Iran will enrich uranium by about 20%.
Iran claims that it produces the material for civilian purposes, but this has caused concern among senior Western officials regarding Iran’s plans to develop nuclear weapons, as uranium has limited civilian use.
Recently, the Majles (Iranian parliament) and the Supreme Security Council of Iran have confirmed the intention to increase uranium enrichment to the highest rate ever, apparently as a message to Joe Biden, the incoming US president. Biden has repeatedly stated during his campaign that he intends to return to the nuclear deal with Iran and even achieve an “improved nuclear deal.”
With the election of Biden, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani announced that Iran is demanding the removal of all US sanctions from it as a condition for a return to the nuclear deal. The Iranians, for their part, are not interested in drafting a new agreement, and want to return to the agreement signed with them in 2015. Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, also announced that Iran will demand the removal of all sanctions as a condition for returning to the agreement.
The other companies in the original nuclear deal (JCPOA) – Britain, France and Germany – expressed displeasure with Iran’s intention to enrich uranium by 20%. As you may recall, the nuclear deal allows Iran to enrich uranium by a maximum of 3.67%.