White House says US will impose new sanctions targeting Iran: ‘President Biden is coordinating with allies…’

White House says US will impose new sanctions targeting Iran (REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz)

The White House has said that president Joe Biden is set to impose new sanctions on Iran’s missile and drone programs after Tehran attacked Israel on April 13. In what can be called a vague announcement, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan spoke about the penalties amid bipartisan pressure to act.

What did the White House say?

“Following Iran’s unprecedented air attack against Israel, President Biden is coordinating with allies and partners, including the G7, and with bipartisan leaders in Congress, on a comprehensive response. In the coming days, the United States will impose new sanctions targeting Iran, including its missile and drone program as well as new sanctions against entities supporting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Iran’s Defense Ministry,” Sullivan said in a statement.

“We anticipate that our allies and partners will soon be following with their own sanctions. In addition, we continue to work through the Department of Defense and U.S. Central Command to further strengthen and expand the successful integration of air and missile defense and early warning systems across the Middle East to further erode the effectiveness of Iran’s missile and UAV capabilities,” he added.

Sullivan went on to say that under the president, “over 600 individuals and entities connected to terrorism, terrorist financing and other forms of illicit trade, horrific human rights abuses, and support for proxy terrorist groups, including Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Kataib Hezbollah.” He added, “The pressure will continue. We will not hesitate to continue to take action, in coordination with allies and partners around the world, and with Congress, to hold the Iranian government accountable for its malicious and destabilizing actions.”

Some critics in Congress have called out Biden for easing up on Donald Trump’s “maximum pressure campaign.” The campaign aimed at starving Iran’s government of funds that could potentially be used for nuclear technology and armed groups in Iraq, Lebanon, the Palestinian territories, Syria and Yemen.

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