US imposes more sanctions against Iran

The US Treasury Department on Thursday imposed new sanctions against 22 Iranian companies affiliated with the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL).

Two other companies, Shahid Ahmad Kazemi Industries Group and Babaie Industries, are subordinates of Iran's Aerospace Industries Organization (AIO), The Wall Street Journal reported.

This is while less than one week remains to the next round of talks between Iran and the P5+1 -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the US plus Germany -- in Turkish city of Istanbul on January 21 and 22.

The representatives of Iran and the P5+1 held their previous round of multifaceted talks in Geneva on December 6 and 7.

The US and its allies accuse Iran of developing a military nuclear program, and used this pretext to pressure the UN Security Council to impose a fourth round of sanctions against Iran's financial and military sectors in June.

Iranian officials have repeatedly refuted the allegations, arguing that as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Tehran has a right to use peaceful nuclear technology.

As a goodwill gesture aimed at displaying the “transparency” of its nuclear program in the spirit of international cooperation, Iran invited diplomats representing political and geographical groups in the IAEA to tour the country's nuclear facility.

Representatives from the IAEA, the Non-aligned Movement (NAM), Group of 77 and the Arab League arrived in Tehran on Saturday for a two-day tour of the country's nuclear sites.