U.S. officials say the Treasury Department is preparing to levy new sanctions on a group of Iranians and companies in other countries connected with Iran's ballistic missile program.
The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the planned move, said the sanctions will likely be formally announced this week and include about 12 people and companies in Iran, Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates.
The sanctions would call on U.S. banks to freeze the assets of those on the list and bar individuals and companies in the U.S. from doing business with them, according to the Journal.
Iran test-fired missiles in October and November. The U.S. and France said the October launch violated a U.N. Security Council resolution banning Iranian development of a ballistic missile. Iran rejected the allegations, saying the sanctions only applied to missiles capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and that their missiles had no such capability.
U.S. experts said the only purpose of the missile would be to deliver a nuclear warhead.
"We've been looking for some time at options for additional actions related to Iran's ballistic missile program based on our continued concerns about its activities, including the October 10th launch," an Obama administration official said. "We are considering various aspects related to additional designations, as well as evolving diplomatic work that is consistent with our national security interests."
Deal violation
Iran has warned that imposing new sanctions would be a violation of the nuclear agreement the country signed in July with the United States, Britain, China, France, Russia and Germany.
Under that deal, Iran is curbing its nuclear activity in response to allegations it was working on nuclear weapons, and in return will get relief from sanctions that have badly hurt its economy. Those sanctions can be lifted once the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog certifies Iran has taken its required steps, including reducing its stockpile of enriched uranium and the number of centrifuges it has installed.
Iran has long denied its nuclear program had any military dimension.
Also Wednesday, the United States accused Iran of conducting a "highly provocative" missile test last week near an American aircraft carrier passing through international shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. military officials said missiles launched Saturday passed within 1,500 meters of the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman. The officials, who spoke to Western media under condition of anonymity, said Iran's navy gave a radio announcement less than an hour before firing the missiles, telling ships to steer clear of the area.
Several other vessels were in the area, including the destroyer USS Buckley, a French frigate and merchant ships.
None of the missiles were fired at any of the ships, which did not need to take any evasive actions.
"While most interactions between Iranian forces and the U.S. Navy are professional, safe and routine, this event was not and runs contrary to efforts to ensure freedom of navigation and maritime safety in the global commons," U.S. Central Command spokesman Kyle Raines said in an emailed statement to Reuters.
The strategic Persian Gulf waterway, which sees nearly a third of all oil traded by sea pass through it, has been the scene of past confrontations between the U.S. and Iran, including a one-day naval battle in 1988.
