Iran Slaps Sanctions on 15 U.S. Companies as Animosity Grows
26 March 2017 - 2:41PM
Dow Jones News
By Asa Fitch
DUBAI--Iran on Sunday sanctioned 15 American companies in
retaliation for restrictions that the Trump administration imposed
on companies and people allegedly connected with its
ballistic-missile program.
Iran had vowed reciprocal action soon after the Trump
administration's move last month, one of several escalations
between Iran and the U.S. since President Donald Trump took office
in January.
The new strains could hamper regional peacemaking efforts, roll
back the Obama administration's nuclear diplomacy with Iran, and
even lead the countries into more direct confrontation.
Iran is deeply involved in the six-year Syrian civil war, and is
a key player along with the U.S. in international talks toward a
political solution. During Mr. Obama's administration, Iran reached
a nuclear deal with six world powers including the U.S. that edged
toward repairing a long-frayed relationship.
Mr. Trump, however, promised to rip up the nuclear deal during
his campaign. Last month, he tweeted that Iran was "on notice" over
its ballistic-missile program. Iran was also among the
Muslim-majority countries whose citizens were barred from entering
the U.S. under two executive orders that the Trump administration
said aimed to keep terrorists out. Those orders have been stayed by
federal judges.
Iran's sanctions on Sunday mainly targeted American defense
companies, including the Massachusetts-based defense giant Raytheon
Co., the Minnesota-based firearms manufacturer Magnum Research
Inc., and Illinois firearms manufacturer Lewis Machine and Tool
Co., singling them out for allegedly helping Israel and
contributing to regional instability, according to the official
Islamic Republic News Agency, citing a Foreign Ministry
statement.
Other companies sanctioned included Denver-based real-estate
giant Re/Max Holdings Inc., which the ministry said had a role in
Israeli settlements in Palestinian territories. Re/Max and the
other companies didn't immediately respond to requests for
comment.
Dealings with the named companies were prohibited, the ministry
said, and their assets in the Islamic Republic were frozen.
Representatives for the companies wouldn't be given visas, it
said.
It wasn't clear if any of the companies had any ongoing business
with the country or assets that could be frozen.
Tehran called the Trump administration's sanctions in February
an affront to its right to self-defense and a violation of 2015's
nuclear deal. Under that deal--a foreign-policy priority for the
Obama administration--the U.S., European Union and United Nations
lifted many sanctions against Iran in exchange for curbs on its
disputed nuclear program.
"The imposition of new sanctions by the U.S. is based on
fabricated and illegitimate pretexts and amounts to an action
against international regulations as well as the word and spirit of
the [nuclear deal]," Iran's Foreign Ministry said, according to
IRNA.
A U.N. Security Council resolution endorsing the nuclear deal
called upon Iran not to develop ballistic missiles designed to be
capable of carrying nuclear warheads. Iran has continued to conduct
ballistic missile tests since the deal, insisting that the weapons
are for self-defense and aren't designed to carry such
warheads.
Trump administration officials have said Iran's tests, including
one in January, were violations of the U.N. resolution.
Write to Asa Fitch at asa.fitch@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 26, 2017 09:26 ET (13:26 GMT)
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