U.S. sanctions companies and individuals in the Middle East and China for helping Iran

A huge art work banner newly posted on the corner of Vali Asr Square depicts Iranian missiles with messages addressing Minab schoolgirls and victims of Epstein Island on March 17, 2026 in Tehran, Iran. = Kaveh Kazemi | The U.S. is imposing sanctions on companies and individuals across the Middle East and China for allegedly helping Iran in its war efforts, the State Department said. The moves target 11 entities and three individuals based in Iran, China, Belarus, and the United Arab Emirates, the department said in a statement late on Friday. "Included in today's actions are several China-based entities providing satellite imagery to enable Iran's military strikes against U.S. forces in the Middle East," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in the statement . "Additionally, we are designating entities and individuals enabling efforts by Iran's military to secure weapons, as well as raw materials with applications in Iran's ballistic missile and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) programs," Rubio said. Rubio said on Friday that the U.S. was expecting a response from Iran that day on the U.S.'s proposal to end the war. Iran said Thursday it is reviewing messages from the U.S. received via Pakistani mediators, but it has yet to reach a conclusion or deliver a reply, according to Iranian state media, which cited an Iranian official. …