Swiss freeze more Iranian assets

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BERN, Switzerland, April 18 (UPI) -- Switzerland has frozen the assets of eight more Iranian corporations and three more individuals in response to Iranian nuclear ambitions.

"The move brings Switzerland largely in line with the restrictive measures adopted by the European Union on Jan. 23," the Swiss Finance Ministry said in a statement Wednesday.

In January, the European Union tightened its sanctions against Iran, and a ban on importing crude oil, petroleum products or petrochemical products from Iran has been in place since March 24.

The ban on Iranian oil and petroleum does not extend to Switzerland, though, and the Swiss ministry has chosen not to impose sanctions on the Central Bank of Iran because of its importance to the Swiss economy, the news service Swissinfo reported Wednesday.

The Swiss Cabinet will decide "at a later date whether or not to adopt further restrictive measures," the Finance Ministry statement said.

With the new round of freezing of assets, Switzerland now has 367 Iranian companies, and 126 individuals, on its targeted list, the news agency said.