US sanctions 7 individuals, entities for supporting IRGC; reiterates stance for Tehran's denuclearisation

Washington: The United States on Wednesday announced a fresh slew of sanctions against Iran after accusing Tehran of attacking commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

The US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned seven individuals and entities involved in an international network supporting weapons procurement efforts, which it claimed was being done on behalf of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

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"The actors designated today exemplify Iran's use of foreign aviation and transport firms, financial conduits, and travel coordinators to obscure the IRGC's role in illicit procurement and to move material and personnel globally. OFAC will continue to disrupt the overseas procurement and financial networks that sustain Iran's weapons production and proliferation efforts, which threaten Americans and U.S. partners and allies worldwide," the statement said.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, in a post on X reiterate America's stance for Iran's denuclearisation and said, "Treasury will continue to target and disrupt the illicit procurement networks that fund Iran's weapons programs and war machine."

Meanwhile in another post on X, the CENTCOM issued a statement regarding its military strikes in Iran and said that the American forces on Tuesday hit Iranian military targets in Bandar Abbas, Khormuj, Ahvaz, Qeshm, Tunb, Bushehr, and Kuh-e Stak to "degrade" Iran's ability to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and further slammed Iran claiming that Tehran targeted innocent civilians transiting the strait and in neighboring Gulf countries.


Earlier, the US Central Command on Wednesday (local time) said that it launched a fresh wave of strikes against Iran targeting the country's military capabilities, which CENTCOM claimed were used by Iran to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

The development follows after CENTCOM said earlier that US forces carried out another round of strikes against Iranian military targets near the Strait of Hormuz and along Iran's coast, targeting missile and drone sites, naval capabilities and coastal defence systems in a seven-hour operation aimed at degrading Tehran's ability to threaten commercial shipping.

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As hostilities continue in the region, Iranian state broadcaster Press TV reported on Wednesday that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the national army have announced a series of missile and drone strikes against US military positions across Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan, describing the attacks as retaliation for American strikes on Iranian territory.

Meanwhile, Al Jazeera reported on Wednesday that GCC Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi has condemned Iranian attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, including strikes on infrastructure and facilities that injured Kuwaiti military personnel.