Analysis by PMOI/MEK
November 8, 2018 – Mike Pompeo and Steve Mnuchin, U.S. Secretaries of State and Treasury, respectively, announced the second round of economic sanctions imposed against the Iranian regime.
The two senior U.S. officials emphasized these sanctions will continue as long as the Iranian regime continues to support terrorism and its military meddling in Syria, and refuses to completely stop its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
Mnuchin said 700 Iranian individuals and entities have been added to the blacklist in the course of these new sanctions. This is a significant addition of Iranian regime individuals and entities to this blacklist; all involved in facilitating the mullahs’ efforts aimed at bypassing U.S. sanctions.
As more details of U.S. Treasury Department sanctions against the Iranian regime are revealed, Ahmad Amir Abadi Farahani, a member of the Iranian regime’s Majlis (parliament) governing board and a member of Qom Province said in his twitter account:
“Nearly all individuals and complexes involved in bypassing the previous sanctions are seen in this list.”
Surprised, he continued his remarks: “Where did the enemy receive this information?”
The German news agency, DPA, wrote in this regard, “According to Ahmad Amir Abadi Farahani, branches of these financial entities were secretly involved in bypassing U.S. sanctions and their blacklisting has been surprising.”
Senior Iranian regime officials, including the Central Bank chief, have claimed they have plans on how to bypass U.S. sanctions.
“Necessary measures have been carried out under the framework of precise planning for our currency resources and consumption” and “necessary negotiations with our trading partners have been carried out, and we have coordinated our engagement with them,” claimed Abdul Nosser Hemmati.
Despite the fact that not all European countries support U.S. sanctions against the Iranian regime, due to America’s economic and political weight, they will be facing a grave challenge in continuing their economic relations with the Iranian regime.
The European Union, especially the three signatories of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, had promised to continue their support of this agreement. However, to this day these countries have failed to present a clear plan on how to confront U.S. sanctions. Although they intend to implement a financial blueprint known as the “special payment vehicle” and continue legal trade and banking transactions with the Iranian regime, no nation has actually stepped forward to host this mechanism. On the other hand, the Iranian regime has not welcomed their efforts in general.
Iranian regime President Hassan Rouhani criticized French President Emmanuelle Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Europe’s suggestive financial package.
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The United States officially re-imposed Monday (Nov. 5) all sanctions lifted under the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal as the Trump administration adds nearly 700 regime targets, including 50 financial institutions linked to the mullahs’ regime.
The Treasury Department blacklisted hundreds of entities, including individuals, banks, vessels, aircraft and the Iranian regime’s energy sector as part of measures to reapply crippling measures. These sanctions follow the decision made by the Trump administration's decision in May to pull out of the highly flawed nuclear deal.
This recent initiative brings the total of Iranian regime targets blacklisted to 900 in less than two years and represents a significant increase in Washington's efforts to enforce economic pressure on the Iranian regime.
"The maximum pressure exerted by the United States is only going to mount from here," said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin in a statement ahead of a briefing with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. "We are intent on making sure the Iranian regime stops siphoning its hard currency reserves into corrupt investments and the hands of terrorists."
Among the sanctioned entities are 92 entities owned or controlled by Ghadir Investment Company, previously identified the US government as an investment firm with links to the Execution of Imam Khomeini's Order, a regime-owned enterprise under direct control of Iranian regime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
The Treasury Department also blacklisted 70 financial institutions linked to the Iranian regime, including their foreign and domestic units. These entities have assisted in funnelling billions of dollars to the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) Quds Force, designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. Those firms include Bank Melli, Arian Bank, Future Bank and the Export Development Bank of Iran.
Some of the banks sanctioned on Monday have served as "financial conduits" for the regime’s Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics and the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, according to Washington.
"This action is aimed at cutting off Iranian banks that facilitate Iran's domestic repression and foreign adventurism from the international financial system, and will highlight for the world the true nature of the regime's abuse of its domestic banking system," Sigal Mandelker, Treasury's counter-terrorism chief, said in a statement.
The Trump administration also blacklisted more than 200 individuals and vessels involved in the Iranian regime’s shipping and energy sectors, including the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines, being a maritime carrier, and the oil transport entity National Iranian Tanker Company.
"They're the strongest sanctions we've ever imposed," said President Donald Trump on Sunday evening (Nov. 4), hours before the sanctions on Iran's energy, shipbuilding and banking sectors kicked in at midnight. "We'll see what happens with Iran," adding "they're not doing very well."
Monday’s sanctions are yet another sign of the failed appeasement policy vis-à-vis the Iranian regime receiving a major blow and setback. The mullahs’ regime has enjoyed significant concessions under this approach, prolonging its rule through the infliction of enormous pains and suffering on the Iranian people in the past three decades.
Those who have chosen to appease the Iranian regime have blatantly neglected the mullahs’ atrocious human rights violations. This includes the 1988 massacre of over 30,000 political prisoners in prisons across the country consisting of mainly members and supporters of the main Iranian opposition People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). These states have also allowed the mullahs to acquire weapons of mass destruction, export terrorism and fuel wars across the Middle East and beyond.
Appeasement of the mullahs’ religious fascism has been the most significant factor helping the regime to survive and prolonging the Iranian people’s pain and suffering over the past three decades.#Iran
— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) November 2, 2018
