“The executive order is a limited expansion of the already extensive U.S. sanctions on Iran, but it gives sweeping power for the U.S. to issue secondary sanctions on non-U.S. individuals and companies that maintain ties with Iran, said Elizabeth Rosenberg, a former senior sanctions adviser at the Treasury Department.
“’A primary intention of these measures is to threaten Iran and deter anyone who would do business with Iran,’ she said…
“By naming a few targets outside of Iran, the U.S. sends a signal that companies in East Asian and Gulf countries are susceptible to sanctions, said Ms. Rosenberg, who is now a senior fellow and director of the energy, economics and security program at the Center for a New American Security…”