Iran Firms Sanctioned for Shipping Arms to Syria

Sent ammunition, assault rifles, machine guns and mortar shells

A U.N. Security Council committee on Thursday imposed sanctions on two Iranian firms that violated a U.N. arms embargo on Tehran by shipping weapons to the Syrian government.

The move was welcomed by the United States. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice said in a statement that the two firms blacklisted by the Iran sanctions committee were "significantly involved in Iranian arms smuggling, including smuggling to Syria."

"These companies—Yas Air and SAD Import Export Company—were responsible for shipping ammunition, assault rifles, machine guns, mortar shells and other arms from Iran to Syria," she said.