Obama is reportedly planning new sanctions on Iran

The Obama administration is preparing to target nearly a dozen companies and individuals in Iran, the United Arab Emirates, as well as in Hong Kong for their suspected role in helping develop Iran's missile program and supporting human-rights abuses and international terrorism, the WSJ reports citing US officials.

These new actions are the first US sanctions imposed on Iran since the historic nuclear deal in July.

According to WSJ, the White House was recently warned by Iranian officials that new sanctions would be considered by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamanei as a violation of the brokered nuclear aggrement.

The US maintains that the Treasury Department has retained the right to blacklist Iranian entities despite the July agreement.

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