US imposes new sanctions on Iran

The US has imposed new sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program, which include blacklisting a state bank and a group of companies.

The new sanctions were imposed as the first move by the United States to implement the latest UN Security Council resolution against Iran, which was approved on June 9.

They seek to freeze any assets these Iranian companies may have under US jurisdiction and prohibit transactions with the blacklisted entities.

US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said at a news briefing on Wednesday that more actions will be taken in the coming weeks to increase financial pressure on the Islamic Republic, Reuters reported.

The Treasury said it added the Post Bank of Iran to its list of Iranian banks that it has sought to cut off from the international financial system.

Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) has also been targeted by the new sanctions.

The new Treasury sanctions also take additional measures against the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC).

Tehran has repeatedly declared that it will never relinquish the legitimate nuclear rights of the Iranian nation, no matter how much pressure the West imposes on the country through sanctions.