The US on Tuesday announced new sanctions on an alleged “Iranian weapons procurement network” as President Trump is ramping up his so-called “maximum pressure campaign” against Iran.
The Treasury Department said that it sanctioned six entities and two people based in Iran, the UAE, and China over allegations they were involved in the “procurement of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) components on behalf of Iran-based Qods Aviation Industries (QAI)—a leading manufacturer for Iran’s UAV program.”
Since President Trump signed an executive order reinstating maximum pressure on Iran, his administration has been increasing sanctions and threatening to take military action against Tehran. The new sanctions came after the president threatened to bomb Iran if a deal isn’t reached on the country’s nuclear program.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei hit back at Trump, warning of a “strong counterattack” in response to any US attack. A high-level IRGC commander also warned that 10 US military bases in the region were in range of Iranian missiles.
Trump’s threat to bomb Iran came after his intelligence agencies said in the annual threat assessment that Tehran is not building a nuclear weapon and that there was no sign Khamenei has reversed his 2003 fatwah that banned the production of weapons of mass destruction.
The threat assessment did note that the conversation around nuclear weapons inside Iran has changed in the face of Israeli aggression in the region. Ali Larijani, an advisor to Khamenei, warned on Monday that if the US or Israel bombed Iran, the Islamic Republic could be “forced” to pursue nuclear weapons.
“If the US or Israel bomb Iran under the pretext of Iran’s nuclear issue, the Islamic Republic will be forced to move towards producing nuclear bombs. Iranian people will pressure us to develop nuclear weapons,” Larijani said.
But there’s still no sign Khamenei is considering moving towards a nuclear bomb, a step he knows could trigger US and Israeli military action. Iran also remains a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, unlike Israel, which has a secret nuclear stockpile that’s not officially recognized by the US.
Amid the soaring tensions, Iranian officials have opened the door to indirect talks with the Trump administration, rejecting the idea of direct negotiations in the face of increasing sanctions and threats. Iranian leaders have also pointed to President Trump unilaterally withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA, during his first administration by re-imposing sanctions as a reason not to hold direct talks.
