US imposes new sanctions on Iran, targeting entities, individuals

The United States has imposed sanctions on four entities and three individuals over their alleged involvement in a procurement network that purportedly supports Iran’s unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) program.

The US Department of the Treasury claimed that the network “operates on behalf of” Iran’s Ministry of Defense.

According to the report, those hit with the coercive measures are based in Iran and Turkey, and are involved in “the procurement of equipment, including European-origin engines of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in support of Iran’s UAV and weapons programs.”

The sanctions freeze any US assets of those targeted and generally bar Americans from dealing with them.

Earlier this month, Washington imposed sanctions on another alleged China-based network, claiming it is helping Iran with the procurement of UAVs.

The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said on March 9 that a network of five companies and one individual “is responsible for the sale and shipment of thousands of aerospace components, including components that can be used for UAV applications.”

The sanctions came amid US accusations that the Islamic Republic provided Russia with drones to be used by Moscow against Ukraine.

The Islamic Republic has, on repeated occasions, roundly rejected Washington’s allegations, saying it has not sold any weapons and drones to be used in the war against Ukraine.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has said Iran had provided Russia with a limited number of drones, but the delivery had taken place months before the war in Ukraine.