US Treasury Blacklists & Freezes Assests of Two Iranians

Via Gulf-Times -

WASHINGTON: The US Treasury said yesterday it had blacklisted two Iranians it charged were involved in Iran’s nuclear drive amid a broader US clampdown on Iranian financial institutions.

The Treasury’s move bars US banks or any American citizens from conducting any financial transactions with the two Iranians, named as Mohamed Qannadi and Ali Hajinia Leilabadi.

It also empowers the US government to freeze any assets the two men may hold under US jurisdiction.

The clampdown comes a day after Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson urged US allies to help cut off Iran’s banks from the global financial system, accusing the Iranian Revolutionary Guard of funding and training Middle East militant groups.

The Treasury said it had also blacklisted three Libyan men it said were members of both Al Qaeda and the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group.

Treasury officials signalled yesterday that they were broadening a push against Iran’s banks to include individuals apparently linked to Tehran’s nuclear programme.

“Even individuals who are active in Iran’s nuclear programme are going to be held to account for their conduct and isolated by the international financial community,” said Stuart Levey, who heads up the Treasury’s anti-terror and intelligence operations.

The department said its move against the two Iranians was taken under presidential authority aimed at freezing the assets of “proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and their supporters.”