US blacklists 24 for nuclear, WMD work with Iran and Pakistan
The United States is adding six people and 18 corporations to its sanctions blacklist, accusing them of assisting Iran’s nuclear programme, Pakistan’s nuclear and missile programmes, and ‘Russian military modernization efforts,’ the Commerce Department has announced.
The new additions to the Entity List of the department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (‘BIS’) include five Iranian officials, one company in Iran, two entities in China, nine in Pakistan, and five in the United Arab Emirates (‘UAE’).
The designated parties were ‘involved in assisting weapons of mass destruction (WMD) activities in Iran and Pakistan,’ and the pair of companies in Russia were added ‘for circumventing license requirements for a party previously added to the Entity List.’
‘The actions today constrict the export of items subject to the Export Administration Regulations (‘EAR’) to these 24 entities,’ the Commerce Department added.
The Commerce Department explained that the five Iranian nuclear officials were added to the list ‘for their involvement in nuclear-related activities’ that are contrary to US interests. The five other Iranian and UAE names were added for working with Iran’s defence ministry and with Iranian entities that are already on the US sanctions list, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
‘The Entity List additions also include 12 companies in Pakistan and the UAE that have been involved or have made significant contributions to Pakistan’s unsafeguarded nuclear and missile programs,’ the department said.
‘Efforts by companies to illicitly procure US technologies in support of unsafeguarded WMD programs are unacceptable and will not be tolerated,’ US Secretary Wilbur Ross said as he announced the expanded blacklist.
