The sanctions target companies and individuals accused of purchasing drone parts on behalf of the Iranian government.
The United States has announced its latest round of sanctions against Iranian drone and missile production, this time targeting companies and individuals who allegedly procured equipment for Tehran’s drone program.
In a statement Tuesday, the US Treasury Department said the targeted “procurement network” operates on behalf of Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL), which oversees companies involved in the development of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and ballistic missiles. .
The latest sanctions came as US officials continued to accuse Iran of supplying Russia with drones for its invasion of Ukraine, which began on February 24, 2022. The European Union has also managed Iran’s drone industry with sanctions.
“Iran’s well-documented proliferation of unmanned aerial vehicles and conventional weapons to its proxies continues to undermine both regional security and global stability,” Brian Nelson, the US Treasury under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said in a statement. release.
“The United States will continue to expose foreign acquisition networks in any jurisdiction that supports Iran’s military-industrial complex.”
Those named in Tuesday’s sanctions include the Iran-based Defense Technology and Scientific Research Center, its procurement firm Farazan Industrial Engineering Inc and two other firms, along with purchasing agents for the companies.
Among the equipment purchased by the network were “engines of European origin” for unmanned aerial vehicles, according to the statement.
As a result of the sanctions, the selected entities will be denied access to any US property or financial assets in the country. US companies will also be barred from doing business with the identified individuals.
The sanctions are just the latest move by Washington to target Iran’s drone manufacturing.
Most recently, in early March, the US Treasury sanctioned a network of Chinese companies for purchasing equipment that supported Iran’s drone program.
In January, Washington also sanctioned seven people in leadership positions within Iranian companies that produce drones.
“Iran must cease its support for Russia’s unprovoked war of aggression in Ukraine, and we will continue to use all the tools at our disposal to disrupt and delay these transfers and impose costs on the actors involved in this activity,” the secretary of state said. from the USA, Antony Blinken. in the statement at the time.
The United States further accused Tehran of violating international law by failing to obtain United Nations Security Council approval for the sale of drones.
In February, US defense officials released an analysis seeking to prove that Russia was using Iranian drones in Ukraine.
For its part, Iran has maintained a defiant stance on the issue, saying international criticism of its drone program is based on concerns that it will become a competitor in global arms sales.
However, Tehran said so. has not provided drones to Russia for use in Ukraine beyond “a “limited number” of the aerial explosives delivered to Moscow before the invasion.
