By DPA
Washington : The US government has imposed financial sanctions on two Iranians allegedly involved in the country's nuclear programme.
The US Treasury Department's order Friday bars Mohammad Qannadi and Ali Hajinia Leilabadi from transactions with US people and freezes any assets the Iranians may have under US jurisdiction.
The United Nations has identified Qannadi as vice president for research and development at the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI), the main Iranian nuclear research institute, the US said.
Ali Hajinia Leilabadi is affiliated with Mesbah Energy Company, an AEOI unit, and has been used to procure products for Iran's heavy-water project, a Treasury statement said.
Iran is working on a heavy-water reactor, which could provide Iran with a source of plutonium well suited for nuclear weapons, the statement said.
AEOI and Mesbah were named for involvement in Iran's nuclear activities in a December 2006 UN Security Council resolution that obliges UN members to cut off technology that could help Iran develop nuclear weapons.
Qannadi and Leilabadi were among 14 people awarded medals by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in August 2006 for contributions in the field of nuclear technology, the US statement said.
The US government says Iran's aim is to build nuclear weapons. Iran denies that, saying its nuclear programme is purely for civilian power generation.