The United States announces sanctions on shipping companies and 13 cargo ships transporting Iranian goods

　　China News Service, Washington, April 4 (Reporter Sha Hanting) The U.S. Treasury Department announced on the 4th local time that it would impose sanctions on a shipping company that assists in transporting Iranian goods and 13 cargo ships it owns.

　　The U.S. Treasury Department issued a statement that day saying that the shipping company Oceanlink Maritime DMCC is headquartered in the United Arab Emirates. The company helps the Iranian Ministry of Defense and the Iranian military transport goods, so sanctions will be imposed on it. In addition, 13 cargo ships owned by the company were also sanctioned. These cargo ships are involved in transporting commodities for the Iranian military.

　　The statement also said that Iranian goods worth more than US$100 million were recently discovered from a cargo ship owned by Oceanlink Maritime DMCC.

　　According to the regulations, the assets of the sanctioned party in the United States or controlled by the United States will be frozen, and U.S. citizens are not allowed to trade with them. Foreign financial institutions or individuals who trade with or provide support to the sanctioned party will also face the risk of being sanctioned.

　　U.S. Treasury Undersecretary Nielsen said in a statement that all means would be taken to "cut off Iran's source of money."

　　In July 2015, Iran reached a comprehensive agreement on the Iranian nuclear issue with the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany. Under the agreement, Iran promised to limit its nuclear program and the international community lifted sanctions on Iran. In May 2018, the Trump administration unilaterally withdrew from the Iran nuclear agreement, and then restarted and added a series of new sanctions against Iran.

　　Since Biden took office as President of the United States, the United States has expressed its willingness to return to the Iran nuclear agreement. Negotiations between relevant parties to the Iran nuclear agreement have been held for many rounds since April 2021, but due to serious differences between the United States and Iran, no agreement has been reached so far. (over)