US planning fresh sanctions against Iran

The US is expected to impose sanctions on multiple Iranian entities as early as Friday following Tehran's recent ballistic missile test, but in a way that will not violate the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, sources familiar with the matter said.

One source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said about eight Iranian entities were to be sanctioned, or "designated" in US legal jargon, for terrorism-related activities and about 17 for ballistic missile-related activities under separate existing US executive orders.

The new sanctions may be the leading edge of a tougher policy but the sources stressed that the United States was imposing them in a manner so as not to conflict with the 2015 Iran nuclear deal under which Tehran agreed to curb its nuclear program in return for relief from economic sanctions, Reuters reports.