U.S. sanctions Iran, targets groups said to support terrorism

WASHINGTON - The United States announced new Iran sanctions yesterday, targeting senior officials of three organizations for alleged support of terrorist groups, including the Taliban in Afghanistan.

The Treasury Department, which announced the sanctions, also named 21 companies that it said are, in effect, front companies for Iran in its pursuit of illicit weaponry, including nuclear arms.

By publicly naming the companies, the government said it was making it easier for U.S. companies to comply with their legal obligation not to do business with the Iranian government.

Taken together, the actions reflect an Obama administration strategy of ratcheting up economic and political pressure on Iran to limit its support for Islamic extremism in the Mideast. A parallel goal is to coax Iran into international negotiations over its nuclear program.

Robert Einhorn, the State Department official who oversees the enforcement of sanctions against Iran and North Korea, told reporters in Seoul on Tuesday that the U.S. has no choice but to pressure Iran because earlier offers to negotiate were rebuffed.

"Pressure is not an end in itself," Einhorn said.

"Instead, sanctions are intended to bring Iran's leaders to the conclusion that their country would be better served by ending its noncompliance with its international obligations and starting to address serious concerns about Iran's nuclear intentions." Iran says its nuclear program is designed to generate electricity, not build weapons.

Stuart Levey, the Treasury Department's undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said sanctions against some Iranian organizations and senior officials are meant to complicate the groups' efforts to support extremist movements in the Mideast.

Treasury targeted two officers in the Qods force, an elite arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, for providing money and weapons to militant groups the U.S. has designated as terrorist organizations: Hezbollah, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. It also targeted two other officers alleged to have provided money and "material support" to the Taliban in Afghanistan.