WASHINGTON — The United States has targeted a number of Chinese, Hong Kong and South African companies in a fresh round of Iran-related sanctions regarding petrochemicals, the US State Department said in a statement on Wednesday.

The entities targeted include Hong Kong-based Mcfly Plastic Hk, Saturn Oasis and Sea Charming Shipping Company; South Africa’s SPI International Proprietary and Main Street 1095; and Chinese companies Dalian Golden Sun Import & Export, Tianyi International (Dalian) and Aoxing Ship Management (Shanghai). The sanctions also targeted Iranian entity Armed Forces Social Security Investment Company, according to the statement.

On Wednesday, the United States said it is taking new steps as part of its maximum economic pressure campaign to deny the Iranian regime all sources of revenue to fund its destabilizing activities.

“The Department of State is imposing sanctions on Chinese company Shandong Qiwangda Petrochemical Co. Ltd., Hong Kong-based Triliance Petrochemical, and Hong Kong entity Jiaxiang Industry Hong Kong Limited for knowingly engaging in a significant transaction for the purchase, acquisition, sale, or transport of petrochemical products from Iran.

“We are also imposing sanctions on two of the executive officers of the companies identified above, Ali Bayandarian, managing director of Triliance Petrochemical, and Zhiqing Wang, chairman and legal representative of Shandong Qiwangda Petrochemical Co., Ltd.

“In addition to these actions, the Department of the Treasury is also designating Triliance Petrochemical, Hong Kong entity Sage Energy HK Limited, Chinese entity Peakview Industry Co., and UAE entity Beneathco DMCC, for assisting or supporting the previously sanctioned National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC).

“These entities have collectively transferred hundreds of millions of dollars to NIOC, which has been instrumental in financing Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) and the terrorist groups and militias around the Middle East that it supports.”

The entities targeted Wednesday continued to facilitate Iran’s petrochemical and petroleum exports contrary to US sanctions. All entities and individuals in the petrochemical sector should take notice, the statement said.

The United States will not waver in its commitment to sanctions enforcement. As long as the Iranian regime continues to exploit revenue from its petroleum and petrochemical industries to fund destabilizing activities, we will sanction any entity or individual that facilitates such trade.

The Iranian regime must cease its destabilizing activities or it will continue to face even greater economic pressure and diplomatic isolation. Our sanctions will remain in place until Iran changes its behavior. We will continue to expose the regime’s malign activities, self-dealing, and outright oppression, the statement added.

This new sanctions were imposed as Iran said its novel coronavirus death toll surpassed 1,000 on Wednesday. The COVID-19 outbreak in sanctions-hit Iran is one of the deadliest for any country outside China, where the disease originated.

Amid the growing clamor for a lockdown, Tehran's mayor has said the economy may not be able to handle the cost of doing so, especially while it is under crippling US sanctions.

"In a normal situation and a good economy, we could have imposed a lockdown," Pirouz Hanachi was quoted as saying by Mehr News agency. Iran, meanwhile, has intensified calls for sanctions relief during the outbreak. — Agencies