The U.S. designated “nine entities based in South Africa, in Hong Kong and in China, as well as three Iranian individuals, all for knowingly engaging in significant transactions for the purchase, acquisition, sale, transport or marketing of petrochemical products from Iran… This action includes the designation of Iran’s armed forces social security investment company and its director for using their resources to invest in sanctioned entities”. In addition, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that “in response to the Iranian regime’s unacceptable nuclear escalations, the Department of Commerce is imposing restrictions on five Iranian nuclear scientists by adding them to the Department of Commerce’s Entity List. These five individuals were involved in Iran’s pre-2004 nuclear weapons program (the “Amad Plan”) and continue to be employed by the regime to this day”.