The U.S. sanctioned seventeen Iranian and foreign-based entities and one individual “in connection with Iran’s metals industry”. The State Department argued that “the Iranian regime uses revenue from its metals sector to fund the regime’s destabilising activities around the world”, adding: “The U.S. will continue to aggressively implement sanctions with respect to the Iranian regime, those who evade sanctions and others who enable the regime to fund and carry out its malign agenda of repression and terror”.