United States imposes fresh sanctions on Iran over its advancement in drone technology
U.S. Imposes Sanctions on Entities and Individual Over Iran's Drone Program
The U.S. Department of the Treasury has announced new sanctions against five entities and one individual based in Iran, China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. These parties have allegedly been procuring technology and equipment to support Iran's military drone program, specifically aiding the Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (HESA), which produces drones used by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
The sanctioned parties include Iran-based Control Afzar Tabriz Co. Ltd. and its CEO Javad Alizadeh Hoshyar, Hong Kong-based Clifton Trading Limited, and two Taiwanese companies, Mecatron Machinery Co. Ltd. and Joemars Machinery and Electric Industrial Co. Ltd.
The rationale for these sanctions is to disrupt Iran’s ability to acquire components to build unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that destabilize the Middle East and threaten U.S. interests as well as U.S. partners and allies in the region. The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the State Department have stated that the drone program is a part of Iran’s asymmetric weapons capabilities pursued to carry out attacks, supporting President Trump's National Security Presidential Memorandum-2, aimed at countering Iran’s missile and drone advancements.
The sanctions target a global procurement network supplying technology and equipment to Iran’s HESA drone program to hinder its development of destabilizing UAV capabilities. The U.S. also stresses the role of these drones in regional destabilization and their link to Iran’s support for conflicts abroad, including providing Shahed kamikaze drones to Russia in its war against Ukraine.
It is important to note that the attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, which occurred between June 13 and 24, is not mentioned in the earlier announced sanctions. Furthermore, the attack on Iran's nuclear facilities is not related to the collaboration in Iran's drone program, nor is it part of the maximum pressure policy against the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The sanctions were announced on Thursday and are a part of the maximum pressure policy against the Islamic Republic of Iran. They are aimed at Iran's drone program and are related to the technology provided to support the previously sanctioned Iranian company HESA.
In conclusion, the U.S. sanctions aim to hinder Iran's development of destabilizing UAV capabilities and counter Iran’s missile and drone advancements, while the attack on Iran's nuclear facilities remains a separate event.
- In line with the announced sanctions, the U.S. aims to restrict Iran's policy-and-legislation regarding its war-and-conflicts, particularly its drone program, as part of the maximum pressure policy on the Islamic Republic of Iran.
- The sanctions, a part of the general-news, also target entities and individuals who support Iran's drone program, specifically those involved in the procurement of technology and equipment for the Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (HESA), as per the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) statement.
