Washington: The United States announced new sanctions today over Iran s nuclear energy programme, naming four individuals and four entities for their ties to Tehran's nuclear and missile programmes.

The US Treasury announced the new measures as part of a global effort to step up pressure on Iran to halt its disputed nuclear activities.

"Iran's nuclear and missile firms hide behind an array of agents that transact business on their behalf," said Stuart Levey, the Treasury under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence.

"As long as Iran continues to engage in such deceptive practices, companies and banks must exercise extraordinary vigilance to avoid participating in illicit transactions."

The Treasury-named individuals include Dawood Agha-Jani, Moshen Hojati, Mehrdada Akhlaghi Ketabachi, and Naser Maleki and the entities designated include Shahid Sattari Industries, Seventh of Tir, Ammunition and Metallurgy Industries Group, and Parchin Chemical Industries.

This action was taken on the basis of a US executive order aimed at freezing the assets of proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and their supporters, and at isolating them from the US financial and commercial systems.

In June 2005,Washington designated the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI), Iran s Aerospace Industries Organisation (AIO), the Shahid Bakeri Industrial Group (SBIG), and the Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group (SHIG) as entities of proliferation concern.

Source : PTI