The United States issues new Iran-related sanctions after Iran resumes attacks on international shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, the US Treasury Department says. The sanctions are announced in a Friday Treasury statement and list Ali Ansari, an Iranian banker and businessman based in Dubai, as a target. Treasury says Ansari previously was sanctioned by Britain for providing financial support connected to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and other entities.
Reuters reports the US measures also include sanctions against a group of 13 other individuals and entities, in addition to Ansari. One report describes the targeted sanctions as connected to the support network around Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s new leader. The sanctions follow renewed incidents involving oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime route for global shipping.
The announced designations add to existing international pressure on Iranian-linked financiers and businesses and underscore the US response to developments around maritime security in the region.
