US sanctions Iranians said to support terrorism


The United States announced new Iran sanctions Tuesday, targeting senior officials of three organizations for alleged support of terrorist groups, including the Taliban in Afghanistan.

The Treasury Department, which announced the sanctions, also named 21 companies that it said are, in effect, front companies for Iran in its pursuit of illicit weaponry, including nuclear arms.By publicly naming the companies, the government said it was making it easier for U.S. companies to comply with their legal obligation not to do business with the Iranian government.Taken together,
the actions reflect an Obama administration strategy of ratcheting up economic and political pressure on Iran to limit its support for Islamic extremism in the Mideast. A parallel goal is to coax Iran into international negotiations over its nuclear program.