U.S. Sanctions Iran Officials, Chinese Network Over Missile Program

The United States on Wednesday sanctioned two Iranian defense officials, an Iranian company and members of a China-based network for supporting Iran’s ballistic missile program, the U.S. Treasury said in a statement.

The targeted sanctions come on the same day the Trump administration said it would continue to waive other, broader sanctions on Iran, a move that was required to keep implementing the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran.

The Iranian officials sanctioned on Wednesday are Morteza Farasatpour and Rahim Ahmadi. Farasatpour coordinated the sale and delivery of explosives and other materiel to a Syrian government agency, the Treasury Department said. Ahmadi is the director of Iran’s Shahid Bakeri Industries Group, which is responsible for Iran’s solid-fueled ballistic missile program, the Treasury statement said.