United States imposes new sanctions on network smuggling US technology to Iran

(Patria) - The US Department of the Treasury announced sanctions on Friday against a network of companies and individuals for facilitating the illegal transfer of technology from dozens of American firms to Iranian entities, including the country's central bank, AFP reported.

The sanctions target Informatics Services Corporation (ISC), the technology arm of the Central Bank of Iran (CBI), according to a Treasury Department statement.

It also sanctioned a number of alleged ISC subsidiaries and front companies based in
Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, as well as three individuals allegedly linked to them, including Pouria Mirdamad, a French-Iranian dual national.

Brian Nelson, the US Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, said the CBI "played a key role" in providing financial support to Lebanon's Hezbollah and the foreign arm of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, known as the Quds Force.

"The United States will continue to use all available tools to disrupt illicit
attempts by the Iranian regime to acquire sensitive US technology and critical inputs," he said.

The Treasury's move freezes all US assets linked to the sanctioned individuals and entities and prohibits Americans from doing business with them.