NATIONAL NEWS

US sanctions group of people and firms from Iran, China and Hong Kong tied to Iran ballistic program

Jun 6, 2023, 8:52 AM

FILE - The Treasury Building is viewed in Washington, May 4, 2021. The U.S. is sanctioning a networ...

FILE - The Treasury Building is viewed in Washington, May 4, 2021. The U.S. is sanctioning a network of people and firms from Iran, China and Hong Kong associated with the alleged development of Iran’s ballistic missile program. The Treasury Department says the network of seven people and six firms “facilitated procurement of sensitive and critical parts and technology for key actors in Iran’s ballistic missile development.” (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS

(AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. said Tuesday it is sanctioning a group of people and firms from Iran, China and Hong Kong associated with the alleged development of Iran’s ballistic missile program.

The network of seven people and six firms “facilitated procurement of sensitive and critical parts and technology for key actors in Iran’s ballistic missile development,” including Iran’s defense ministry and its affiliated firms, according to the Treasury Department.

Among the sanctions targets are the China-based firm Zhejiang Qingji, which has allegedly sold centrifuges and other materials to an Iran-based firm affiliated with the nation’s defense ministry. Also designated for sanctions were several executives at Qingji and the Hong Kong-based Lingoe Process Engineering Limited, which Treasury said served as a front company for the Chinese firm.

Also named is Iran’s Defense Attaché in Beijing, Davoud Damghani, who is alleged to coordinate purchases from China for Iran end-users.

Among other things, the sanctions deny the people and firms access to any property or financial assets held in the U.S. and prevent U.S. companies and citizens from doing business with them.

The latest round of financial penalties comes as Iran recently claimed that it has created a hypersonic missile capable of traveling at 15 times the speed of sound, adding a new weapon to its arsenal as tensions remain high with the United States over Tehran’s nuclear program.

Tensions between the U.S. and Iran are also high amid months of antigovernment protests in Iran and Western anger at Iran’s export of attack drones to Russian forces fighting in Ukraine.

Brian E. Nelson, Treasury’s undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said the U.S. “will continue to target illicit transnational procurement networks that covertly support Iran’s ballistic missile production and other military programs.”

___

Associated Press reporter Jon Gambrell in Abu Dhabi contributed to this report.

National News

Associated Press

Oregon man found guilty of murder in 1980 cold case of college student after DNA link

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A man living in the suburbs of Portland, Oregon, has been found guilty in the 1980 cold case murder of a 19-year-old college student. Multnomah County Circuit Judge Amy Baggio on Friday found Robert Plympton, 60, guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Barbara Mae Tucker, the Multnomah County District […]

4 hours ago

Associated Press

Discrimination lawsuit brought by transgender athlete sent back to Minnesota trial court

A Minnesota appeals court has sent the lawsuit brought by a transgender athlete back to a trial court to determine whether she was illegally denied entry into women’s competitions because of her gender identity. JayCee Cooper, a transgender woman, sued USA Powerlifting in 2021 after the organization denied her 2018 request for participation. She alleged […]

5 hours ago

Associated Press

Cleanup continues in Ohio following tornados, severe weather that killed 3

LAKEVIEW, Ohio (AP) — The three people killed when several tornados roared through Ohio last week all died from storm-related injuries, authorities announced Monday. Darla Williams, 70, and Marilyn Snapp, 81, both lived in the Geiger Mobile Home Park in Lakeview, while Neal Longfellow, 69, lived in nearby Orchard Island. The two communities were among […]

7 hours ago

Associated Press

Chinese billionaire pleads guilty to straw donor scheme in New York and Rhode Island

NEW YORK (AP) — A Chinese billionaire pleaded guilty Monday to violating federal election law by funneling illegal straw donations to a New York City official, a member of the U.S. House and a congressional candidate. Hui Qin, a Chinese film magnate with homes in Manhattan and Long Island, admitted to using his fortune to […]

7 hours ago

Associated Press

Movie armorer challenges conviction in fatal shooting of cinematographer by Alec Baldwin

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A movie set armorer is challenging her conviction on an involuntary manslaughter charge in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer by Alec Baldwin on the set of the Western film “Rust,” court records released Monday show. Defense attorneys for “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed filed a request for a new trial […]

8 hours ago

Associated Press

Iowa agrees to speed up access to civil court cases as part of lawsuit settlement

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The state of Iowa will provide “contemporaneous” access to newly filed civil court cases to settle a lawsuit that accused the state of violating the First Amendment by delaying access to those filings, the Des Moines Register reported Monday. The newspaper publishing company Lee Enterprises, based in Davenport, Iowa, and […]

8 hours ago

US sanctions group of people and firms from Iran, China and Hong Kong tied to Iran ballistic program