US says it issued sanctions to disrupt Iran's weapon procurement

WASHINGTON, July 15 - The U.S government issued sanctions on Wednesday targeting individuals and entities that it said were a part of an international network helping Iran procure weapons.

The sanction targets include Iranian and Russian nationals, as well as entities bases in Iran, Russia and Nigeria, the U.S. Treasury Department said in a statement.

The move comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran, including recent hostilities over control of the Strait of Hormuz, and as the Trump administration ramps up pressure on Iran through a series of sanctions measures.

Wednesday's sanctions targets "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," the Treasury said in a statement.

They add to U.S. actions in May against individuals and companies, including several in China and Hong Kong, over accusations of aiding Iran's weapons sector. In June, the U.S. imposed sanctions against 11 people and entities for helping weapons procurement by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Iranian military. REUTERS