U.S. imposes new sanctions on Iran over missile test

PanARMENIAN.Net - The U.S. has imposed fresh sanctions on Iranian companies and individuals over a recent ballistic missile test, BBC News reports.

The new sanctions prevent 11 entities and individuals linked to the missile programme from using the U.S. banking system.

The move came after international nuclear sanctions on Iran were lifted as part of a deal hailed by President Barack Obama on Sunday, January 17 as "smart". Four American-Iranians were also freed in a prisoner swap as part of the deal.

Among them was Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian - whom President Obama described as "courageous". A fifth American was freed separately. The U.S. said it had offered clemency to seven Iranians being held in the U.S. for sanctions violations.

Negotiations in December over the prisoner exchange delayed the U.S. Treasury's imposition of the latest sanctions. They were only announced once the plane containing the former prisoners had left Iran, reports said.

They were triggered by Iran conducting a precision-guided ballistic missile test capable of delivering a nuclear warhead last October, violating a United Nations ban.

"Iran's ballistic missile programme poses a significant threat to regional and global security, and it will continue to be subject to international sanctions," said Adam J Szubin, U.S. acting under-secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence.

Moments later, President Obama hailed the nuclear deal, which is being implemented following verification by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that Iran had restricted its sensitive nuclear activities. The deal meant "Iran will not get its hands on a nuclear bomb", he said.

He said differences with Iran remained, and the U.S. would "remain steadfast in opposing Iran's destabilising behaviour elsewhere" - such as its missile tests.