The Trump administration issued an executive order on Monday that allows the United States to sanction anyone who sells arms to Iran in violation of the U.N. arms embargo, which was extended indefinitely as part of the reimposition of U.N. snapback sanctions on the regime that took effect on Saturday.
It authorizes the United States to enact secondary sanctions on those who trade arms with Iran. It is aimed at punishing anyone or any country that gives arms to Iran and does not allow the target of secondary sanctions to access the U.S. marketplace, the world’s largest.
The new measure targets sellers like Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro; the Iranian Ministry of Defense; Iran’s Defense Industries Organization and its director, Mehrdad Akhlaghi-Ketabchi—all for allegedly being involved in the regime’s conventional-arms program.
Also sanctioned were six individuals and three entities associated with the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, in addition to three individuals and four entities associated with Iran’s liquid propellant ballistic-missile organization, the Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group.