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US expands sanctions on Iran metals trade, citing ballistic missile program

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expands metals-related sanctions on Iran, naming 22 materials used in connection with Iran’s nuclear, military or ballistic missile programs.
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The United States has expanded its economic sanctions on metals trade with Iran, publishing a list of 22 materials that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said could potentially be used to supply Tehran’s ballistic missile, nuclear and military programs.

On the newly released list is refined aluminum powder, a key ingredient in solid rocket fuel. In a press release Thursday, Pompeo cited the influence of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Iran’s construction sector as a reason for the latest sanctions.

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