U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on Thursday a “major expansion” of Iran metals sanctions, targeting 22 materials, that allow the United States to sanction those who transfer those materials to the Islamic Republic.
Pompeo said these materials are “used in connection with Iran’s nuclear, military, or ballistic-missile programs.”
The top U.S. diplomat also said that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps still controls Iran’s construction sector and therefore anyone who knowingly transfers certain materials, including graphite or raw or semi-finished metals, to or from Iran to be used in connection with the construction sector may be sanctioned.
Materials listed by Pompeo include alloys of aluminum and steel, tungsten copper and aluminum powder.
The development exemplified the administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign since withdrawing the United States from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, reimposing sanctions under it, along with enacting new penalties against the regime.
