WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. government said on Thursday it had removed sanctions on three former Iranian officials and on two companies previously involved in trading Iranian petrochemical products, a move a U.S. official said had nothing to do with Iran nuclear talks.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the U.S. official said that the moves by the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) were routine and unrelated to efforts to revive Iranian and U.S. compliance with the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
“Today, OFAC and the Department of State are also lifting sanctions on three former Government of Iran officials, and two companies formerly involved in the purchase, acquisition, sale, transport, or marketing of Iranian petrochemical products,” the Treasury said in a statement.
“These delistings are a result of a verified change in behavior or status on the part of the sanctioned parties and demonstrate the U.S. government’s commitment to lifting sanctions in the event of a change in behavior or status for sanctioned persons,” it added.
The Treasury did not name the former Iranian officials or the companies in its statement.
On its website, OFAC said it removed three men from one of its sanctions lists: Ahmad Ghalebani, a managing director of the National Iranian Oil Company; Farzad Bazargan, a managing director of Hong Kong Intertrade Company, and Mohammad Moinie, a commercial director of Naftiran Intertrade Company Sarl.
OFAC also said it had removed some sanctions on Sea Charming Shipping Company Limited and on Aoxing Ship Management Shanghai Limited.
(Reporting By Arshad Mohammed and Daphne PsaledakisEditing by Chris Reese and Marguerita Choy)
