The U.S. Department of the Treasury, through the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), has imposed sanctions on two entrepreneurs of dual Dominican and Iranian nationality, as well as on 30 companies from five different countries.
The affected parties are Mehnous Parsaraf Hamedani and Ramin Keshvardust, who reside in Hong Kong and serve as shareholders in several enterprises facilitating the trade of 'Iranian steel and oil worth tens of millions of dollars.'
Furthermore, OFAC has sanctioned 27 companies, twelve of which are based in Iran and operate in the railway, automotive, and steel sectors.
Among these companies, the state Railway Company of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Raja Passenger Train Company, and Iran Jodro Company are particularly notable, as they are allegedly linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, as is HEPCO, one of the largest manufacturers of mining and road construction equipment in the Middle East.
The list of sanctioned organizations includes seven companies registered in Hong Kong, two companies in Shanghai (one of which is an affiliate of HEPCO), and one company in Beijing. The list also includes two entities from the Emirates, one from Indonesia, as well as companies from Germany and Turkey. All these organizations were sanctioned for supplying or trading products with Iranian enterprises.