The Wall Street Journal:
WASHINGTON—The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned nearly a dozen Iranian-linked entities Sunday for their alleged role in Tehran’s ballistic-missile program, a move coming just hours after Washington and Tehran concluded a high-stakes prisoner swap.
The Obama administration had initially notified Congress on Dec. 30 that it was sanctioning a range of companies and individuals in Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates and Iran, after Iran conducted its latest ballistic missile test in October.
But the U.S. pulled back on imposing those penalties in response to major pressure exerted by the Iranian government, according to U.S. and congressional officials who were briefed on the tense diplomacy.
Iranian officials had specifically warned that the prisoner swap put into effect Saturday and concluded Sunday could be derailed if the missile-related sanctions went ahead, these officials said.
The White House, however, determined on Saturday that the penalties could go ahead once the four U.S. prisoners involved in the exchange were released, according to administration officials. Three of U.S. citizens left Tehran Sunday morning, according to U.S. officials, while the fourth decided not to board the Switzerland-bound airplane.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhaniwarned last month that Tehran would escalate its missile program if the U.S. sanctions went into effect.
“Iran’s ballistic-missile program poses a significant threat to regional and global security, and it will continue to be subject to international sanctions,” the Treasury Department’s top sanctions official, Adam Szubin, said in a statement released Sunday.
The Treasury’s sanctions target to two Iran-linked networks alleged to be involved in developing the country’s missile program and include punitive measures against many of the individuals involved, according to a statement.
The sanctions prohibit U.S. or foreign nationals from conducting business with the blacklisted firms. U.S. banks are also ordered to freeze any assets the companies or individuals hold inside the American financial system.
The sanctions target U.A.E.-based Mabrooka Trading Co. LLC and its founder, Hossein Pournaghshband,for allegedly aiding Iranian state companies in acquiring carbon fiber for Iran’s missile program.
Mr. Pournaghshband also used a subsidiary in Hong Kong, Anhui Land Group Co., to acquire materials and financing for a carbon-fiber production line.
Attempts to reach Mr. Pournaghshband and the offices of Mabrooka Trading in Dubai were unsuccessful.
The Treasury also sanctioned five Iranian officials working at the country’s Ministry of Defense for Armed Forces Logistics, or MODAFL, and its subsidiaries for allegedly working on the ballistic-missile program.
Among the reasons for the new sanctions are ties the Treasury is alleging between Iran and North Korea on missile development. This includes Iran buying components from Pyongyang’s state-owned Korea Mining Development Trading Corp., which is sanctioned by both the U.S. and the European Union…
