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The US is imposing new sanctions targeting Iran’s missile and drone programmes in a move aimed at countering Tehran’s threat to Israel and allies in the Gulf as well as the “destructive” impact of the weaponry in Ukraine.
The US is also issuing guidance to industry on components sought by Iran to boost its missile programme. In a statement with 45 countries including the UK and other European allies, Washington cited mounting concerns about the country’s missiles and drones and their provision to partners and proxies, which “endangers international stability and escalates regional tension”.
“We see the horrific impact of Iran’s provision of missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles to designated terrorist organisations and militant proxies that directly threaten the security of Israel and our Gulf partners,” secretary of state Antony Blinken said in a statement, adding that the US also sees “the destructive result” of Iranian drones in Ukraine.
Hamas, which carried out a deadly assault on Israeli civilians last week, is backed by Iran, as is Lebanese-based Hizbollah, which has threatened to join the fighting between Israel and Hamas. The US designates Hamas and Hizbollah as terrorist organisations.
The US measures come as a UN embargo on Iran’s weapons programme was set to expire on Wednesday and amid mounting efforts in Washington to keep Iran out of the Israel-Hamas conflict, even as the US has described Tehran as “complicit” in Hamas’s assault on Israel.
The Biden administration has warned Iran and its proxies publicly and privately to avoid widening the conflict, and has moved two carrier strike groups to the eastern Mediterranean in a show of force. It has also moved 2,000 marines nearby and placed another 2,000 troops on standby.
The US had “worked to disrupt Iran’s missile programme since long before the UN Security Council imposed restrictions on it”, Blinken said. “We will continue to do so, using every tool at our disposal, so long as Iran poses a threat to security and stability in the Middle East region and around the world.”
The US would “not stand by and watch” Iran continue to destabilise the region and other countries such as Ukraine with the proliferation of UAVs and missiles, a senior state department official added.
Also on Wednesday EU member states said they would retain nuclear, conventional arms and missile-related restrictions on Iran. Tehran denounced the move as “illegal.” The EU said its measures were not new and that other sanctions lifted under the Iran nuclear deal remain lifted.
The UK said it would join the EU in maintaining punitive measures on Iran’s drones and missile programmes “in response to Iran’s serious and escalating non-compliance” since 2019 with terms of the nuclear deal Tehran struck with international powers.
Some critics of the Iran deal would like to see Europe use what is known as the snapback provision in the deal to reimpose other sanctions previously lifted because of the accord, under which Iran agreed to significant curbs on its nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief.
Former president Donald Trump pulled the US out of the 2015 nuclear deal and reimposed all the sanctions lifted under the accord.
Before Hamas’s surprise attack on Israel, the US and Tehran agreed in September to swap prisoners and Washington moved $6bn in funds from South Korea to Qatar for Iran to use for humanitarian needs.
Hamas’s attack on Israel prompted calls from across the US political spectrum for the funds to be frozen again. US officials have said they can deny Iran access to those funds and that Tehran will not be able to use them any time soon.
