Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that he signed a declaration designating the Iranian government bank Melli as a terrorist organization, "at the request of security agencies and on the recommendation of the Economic Counter-Terrorism Staff at the Ministry of Defense." Katz's office stated that "Bank Melli is a key factor in the Iranian regime's money transfer axis to terrorist organizations and serves as a central financial arm of the regime in financing terrorist activities throughout the Middle East and beyond." Simultaneously, the United States imposed additional sanctions on Iran, relating to trade and energy companies, according to the US Treasury Department.