The United States welcomes the April 18 decision by the UN Security Council's Iran Sanctions (1737) Committee to impose sanctions on two individuals and one company involved in Iranian arms smuggling. The individuals listed today helped plan a weapons shipment-intercepted by Nigeria in 2010-in violation of existing UN sanctions. Both individuals and this company are tied to the Qods Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the group that directs Iranian support for terrorism and extremism worldwide.

These designations reflect the Security Council's unified commitment to using and enforcing the sanctions adopted by the Council, in conjunction with a constructive process of engagement, to compel Iran to meet its international obligations. This action underscores the international community's resolve to continue its call on Iran to demonstrate the exclusively peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear program.

In addition to targeting the IRGC, the UN Security Council has imposed stringent sanctions on Iran by banning ballistic missile launches, providing for rigorous inspection of suspect cargo in the air or on the sea, prohibiting the sale of many heavy weapons to Iran, severely constraining financial transactions with Iran, and highlighting the oil sector's role in financing Iran's nuclear program. We encourage the Committee and its Panel of Experts (POE) to take additional steps to strengthen implementation of these sanctions.