Disarmament Diplomacy

Issue No. 45, April 2000

US Imposes Additional Sanctions on North Korea, Iran

On April 14, the US Government imposed sanctions against one North Korean and four Iranian entities for engaging "in missile technology proliferation activities." The sanctioned North Korean entity is the Changgwang Sinyong Corporation; the three sanctioned Iranian entities are the Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL), the Aerospace Industries Organization, the Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group, and the SANAM Industrial Group. The sanctions constitute a principally symbolic move, as US commercial engagement with the cited organizations is already impermissible under the general sanctions in place against both states. According to State Department spokesperson James Rubin, speaking on the day of the announcement, all the cited bodies were guilty of "major…Category 1" violations, taken to refer to the export of complete missile systems or major missile equipment such as rocket stages, guidance systems or production technology. Rubin did not name the beneficiaries of the secret exports, although media speculation suggested that the alleged North Korean violations may have concerned deliveries to Syria.

Reports: Text - Missile proliferation sanctions imposed on entities in Iran, N. Korea, US State Department (Washington File), April 14; Sanctions imposed on N. Korea, Iran, Associated Press, April 14.

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