US slaps more sanctions on Iranian interests

The United States has imposed sanctions on more Iranian interests because of its concern about Iran's nuclear activities.

The US Treasury said last night that it was blacklisting a number of companies and individuals who it said are trying to subvert US and European Union sanctions.

Iran however, says its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful.

A White House official said the measures would have some impact on Iran's ability to sell oil.

"It will make it that much more difficult for Iran to deceive potential purchasers about the origin of the oil," the official told reporters.

US companies and Americans are already prohibited from doing business with entities controlled by Iran's government.

The National Iranian Tanker Company changed the names and flags of many of its oil tankers ahead of the European Union ban on Iranian oil imports. That included swapping Maltese and Cypriot flags for Tuvalu and Tanzanian ones.

Politicians said the US Treasury's action was a move in the right direction but said much more had to be done.

"We must continue to increase pressure on the Iranian regime until it verifiably abandons its nuclear weapons program," said Howard Berman, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, who has been asking Tuvalu and Tanzania to stop reflagging Iranian oil tankers.

A senior Senate Republican aide said the administration was finally playing the game correctly by exposing Iranian fronts for sanctions evasion and laying the groundwork for new sanctions legislation that will make any business dealing with such entities illegal.