The Director of the Ports in Bandar Lengeh, had boasted about the continued exports despite US sanctions.
By SETH J. FRANTZMANPROTESTERS BURN pictures of US President-elect Joe Biden and President Donald Trump, in Tehran, Iran, in November.(photo credit: MAJID ASGARIPOUR/WANA (WEST ASIA NEWS AGENCY) VIA REUTERS)
The Trump administration attempted to use sanctions to isolate Iran and also cut off its regime from foreign funding. This has had a major effect, drying up funding for Hezbollah and some other Iranian-linked groups. However, on the other side of the coin Iran boasts that it has continued exports despite the sanctions. In some ways Iran has claimed the sanctions were even good for the country, encouraging it to make many products locally. Iran has impressive military programs, despite the sanctions. Tasnim News reported on Saturday that the Director of the Ports in Bandar Lengeh, a harbor city that is the capital of Bandar Lengeh County and a key port in Hormozgan province on the Persian Gulf, had boasted about the continued exports. Iran wants to improve the export here of oil and non-oil items. According to Tasnim news agency from Bandar Lengeh, the Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development and the Managing Director of the Ports and Maritime Organization visited the western ports of Hormozgan province during a one-day trip. "Despite the imposed sanctions and the presence of the COVID virus, we are using all possible means to further the economic and social prosperity of this region and improve the livelihood of coastal people in the west,” a statement said. 3.6 million tons had been offloaded recently, although it wasn’t clear the timeframe of how long this took. In addition, non-il goods were being exported. Some 14,000 vessels had also moored off the coast and some 64,000 vehicles been imported. It appeared this took place over a period of nine months last year. Minerals and other good were also being exported. Bandar Lengeh is a pleasant area with many tourist attractions. Iran also says it continues to “defy” US sanctions by trading with Venezuela. Iran says that an Iranian cargo ship arrived in Venezuela’s La Guaira port recently. The ship was bringing food to Venezuela, Press TV said. It also carried items for the production of aluminum. Iran noted that it continues to send gasoline to Caracas. Iran has a large fleet of tankers and has conducted illicit trade due to difficulties it faced from US sanctions. The US continues to use sanctions against Iran and pro-Iran officials. The US targeted Iraq’s Falih al-Fayyadh on Friday, citing his involvement with suppressing protests in Iraq. Iran claims Fayyadh is an important anti-terror leader because he helped run the Popular Mobilization Forces of mostly Shi’ite militias. These militias include other men sanctioned and targeted by the US. They stormed the US embassy last year and the US killed the deputy of the PMF in January 2020, when the US also killed IRGC Quds Force head Qasem Soleimani. Iran appears to hope that US sanctions will end soon under the new administration, and it is weathering the storm.
