US plans to impose sanctions on Russian industries: Report

The administration of US President US Biden is planning to impose a new round of sanctions on Russia, this time targeting the country’s key industries, according to a report.

Citing officials familiar with the matter, Bloomberg News reported on Sunday that the new sanctions will target Russia's defense and energy sectors, financial institutions and a number of individuals.

The report added that Washington and its allies may also examine how to prevent Moscow from evading and circumventing sanctions in order to deny the support Russia receives from third countries.

The Reuters news agency contacted a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council but the person declined to comment on the issue.

The European Union's proposal for new sanctions includes imposing new sanctions on Iranian companies, accusing them of providing Russia with drones and other military supplies, technologies, and components, the Bloomberg report said.

The US has already imposed sanctions against Iran, targeting an Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles manufacturer under the unsubstantiated and disproven pretext that the Islamic Republic has provided Russia with the UAVs to be used by Moscow against Ukraine.

US sanctions target Iranian drone manufacturer

The US imposes sanctions against an Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles

Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Ashtiani has said Ukrainian officials had failed to provide any evidence for their claim that Russia was using Iranian drones in its military campaign in Ukraine.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has also reacted to the US and other Western countries' allegations, noting that Iran had provided Russia with a limited number of drones, but the delivery had taken place months before the war in Ukraine.

Russia has similarly denied deploying any Iranian UAVs in the war against Ukraine.

Earlier this month, Russia imposed sanctions on scores of American officials, retaliating for Washington’s stepped-up campaign of striking Russian figures with similar coercive measures.

The Russian foreign ministry announced the sanctions on February 9, identifying the targets as 77 Americans, including 33 governors of US states.

The United States and the European Union have unleashed unprecedented sanctions against Russia since February 2022 when Moscow began a special military operation against its neighbor Ukraine.

Moscow says the operation aims to stop Kiev's persecution of the pro-Russian population in eastern Ukraine and also serves to "de-Nazify" the ex-Soviet republic.

The Western sanctions have targeted hundreds of Russian officials, barring them from entering the Western territory and freezing their assets.

Russia targets scores of US officials in tit-for-tat sanction spree

Russia sanctions scores of American officials, retaliating for the US

The retaliatory Russian measures, the Russian ministry said, were also aimed at punishing the US over its support for Ukraine during the nearly-one-year-old conflict.

The support has seen Washington providing Kiev with a whole host of American weapons, including long-range missiles and battle tanks.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.ir