A outer representation shows the Skipper, a precise ample crude bearer and the archetypal Venezuela-related vas seized by the U.S. connected December 10, adjacent the shoreline of Galveston, Texas, U.S., December 21, 2025.
Vantor | Via Reuters
The U.S. connected Tuesday announced sanctions connected a radical of 10 individuals and entities based successful Iran and Venezuela that are allegedly linked to the weapons commercialized betwixt the 2 countries.
Those targeted see a Venezuelan company, Empresa Aeronautica Nacional, which is allegedly linked to millions of dollars of Iranian drone income to Venezuela. The sanctions besides people 3 Iran-based individuals who are allegedly portion of an effort to procure chemicals utilized for ballistic missiles, according to the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control.
"Iran's ongoing proviso of accepted weapons to Caracas constitutes a menace to U.S. interests successful the Western Hemisphere, including the Homeland, and the United States volition usage each disposable measures to forestall this trade," the Treasury Department said successful a statement.
The sanctions travel a time aft President Donald Trump threatened to "knock the hell" retired of Iran if the state seeks to physique up its ballistic rocket reserves oregon reestablish its atomic weapons program.
Iranian subject sites and weapons programs were damaged earlier this twelvemonth by attacks carried retired by Israel and the U.S.
Trump, up of a gathering with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu astatine his Mar-a-Lago edifice successful Florida connected Monday, besides said helium would enactment Israeli strikes connected Iran successful the lawsuit of rearmament.
"The effect of the Islamic Republic of Iran to immoderate oppressive aggression volition beryllium harsh and regrettable," Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian posted to X connected Tuesday.
Trump has besides taken an assertive stance toward Venezuela of late, targeting alleged cause boats, ordering a implicit blockade of sanctioned lipid tankers moving successful and retired of the country, and designating the country's authorities a "foreign violent organization."
Earlier this month, the Trump medication said the U.S. had seized an lipid tanker disconnected the seashore of Venezuela. The seized tanker had been sanctioned by the U.S. for years and transported lipid from Iran and Venezuela, according to a station from Attorney General Pam Bondi.
And astatine the gathering connected Monday with Netanyahu, Trump besides confirmed an onslaught connected an alleged cause loading installation connected Venezuelan soil. CNN reported that the onslaught was carried retired earlier this period by the CIA.
Tuesday's sanctions travel akin efforts successful October and November to people individuals and entities operating successful oregon progressive with Iranian weapons networks.
"Treasury is holding Iran and Venezuela accountable for their assertive and reckless proliferation of deadly weapons astir the world," John K. Hurley, Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, said successful a statement.
"We volition proceed to instrumentality swift enactment to deprive those who alteration Iran's military-industrial analyzable entree to the U.S. fiscal system," helium said.
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