US sanctions Iranians after missile strikes in Iraq, Gulf

By ELLEN KNICKMEYER
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States is sanctioning Iranian defense companies and figures after a spate of ballistic missile attacks on targets in Iraq and the Gulf. Treasury Undersecretary Brian Nelson says Wednesday’s sanctions show the U.S. continuing to target figures in Iran’s ballistics missile program. The U.S. and Iran’s Arab neighbors blame Iran for a March 13 strike on Irbil, Iraq, and for repeated missile strikes into Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates by Iranian-backed Houthi fighters in Yemen. On Friday, a Houthi missile strike set ablaze a Saudi Aramco oil storage site. That prompted warnings from angry Saudi leaders that the attacks threatened the stability of the world oil market.