Rouhani
© unknownPresident Rouhani
Iran has sanctioned nine US-linked companies in response to American sanctions over the Middle East country's ballistic missile program. While Iran's re-elected president Rouhani said the country was ready for dialogue, the US came up with prerequisites to start it.

Nine more US-linked businesses, organizations and individuals are put in the sanctions list, created in March. The new list of sanctions is dated May 18, with AP reporting that it was put online on Saturday.

The sanctions mean that Iran could seize local assets of the listed organizations and deny their employees entry to the country. The first batch of sanctions were announced back in March in response to actions of the Trump administration, which sanctioned more than two dozen Iran-linked people and companies in February in retaliation for a ballistic missile test.

Tehran's actions followed US President Donald Trump's decision on Wednesday to renew the sanctions waiver maintaining the Iranian nuclear deal, but also to impose sanctions against two Iranian defense officials and a company allegedly linked to the missile program.

Iran's re-elected President Hassan Rouhani vowed Saturday to continue reforms and said that the country was open for international dialogue. "Our nation's message in the election was clear: Iran's nation chose the path of interaction with the world, away from violence and extremism," Rouhani said.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson spoke of his vision of Iran's dialogue "with the rest of the world." He made it clear the US would like to see an end to Iran's missile program, as well as what he described as Iran's role in supporting "destabilizing forces that exist in this region."


Comment: This is rich, coming from the US.


Tillerson also called on Tehran to restore "the rights of Iranians to freedom of speech, to freedom of organization, so Iranians can live the life they deserve."

"We hope that if Rouhani wanted to change Iran's relationship with the rest of the world, those are the things he could do," Tillerson said Saturday while speaking at a joint news conference with his Saudi counterpart in Riyadh.

In April, Tillerson described Iran as "the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism" in a letter to Congress. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif then said in response that instead of repeating accusations against Iran, the US should fulfill its obligations under the 2015 nuclear deal.


Comment: Iran releases list of banned US real, legal entities:
Foreign Ministry released list of newly-banned real and legal entities in response to the US illegal move in adding a number of Iranian individuals and firms to the list of missile sanctions.

Foreign Ministry banned nine other US individuals and companies for playing roles in blatant violation of human rights through direct or indirect involvement in the Zionist regimes anti-human crimes in the occupied lands, supporting Takfiri terrorism and crackdown of regional nations as well as effective cooperation in acts against the national security of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The updated list of sanctioned American firms and individuals has been released by Foreign Ministry on Thursday:

1. Huntington Ingalls Industries: For participating in development of Sa'ar 5-class corvettes used by the Zionist regime in war crimes against the oppressed Palestinian people and Lebanon.

2. Booz Allen Hamilton: Security contractors affiliated with the CIA, active in the Middle East. The company is in charge of collecting data against Iranian organizations and conducting security operations against the Islamic Republic.

3. Horacio D.Rozanski: Booz Allen Hamilton CEO

4. KingFisher Systems: Founded in 2005, the company provides security services, mostly on cyberspace, to the US government and intelligence agencies. One of its operations was monitoring Iran's naval moves.

5. Roy L. Reed, Jr: KingFisher Systems CEO

6. DynCorp International: This security company has replaced Blackwater in Yemen under a $3bn contract.

7. McAlester Army Ammunition Plant: This company provides a part of US Army's heavy weapons arsenal, participating in America's destructive moves against international peace, stability and security.

8. The BIRD Foundation: supports joint investment with Israeli and American companies in hi-tech industries benefiting the Zionist regime.

9. The BSF Foundation: A joint science foundation that has helped promote cooperation in science and technology between Israeli and American companies.

10. BENI Tal

11. RAYTHEON

12. ITT Corporation

13. Re/Max Real Estate

14. Oshkosh Corporation

15. Magnum Research Inc

16. Kahr Arms

17. M7 Aerospace

18. Military Armament Corporation

19. Lewis Machine and Tool Company

20. Daniel Defense

21. Bushmaster Firearms International

22. O.F. Mossberg & Sons

23. H-S Precision, Inc.

Items 10-23 had been included in the sanctions list attached to a statement issued on February 3, 2017.