US sanctions Chinese companies supplying drone parts to Iranian regime

The United States imposed on Thursday sanctions against a network of companies based in China for the charges of having sent aerospace parts to an Iranian company involved in the production of drones which Tehran used to attack tankers and exported to Russia for the war in Ukraine.

The US Treasury Department said in a statement that it had imposed sanctions on five companies and one individual it accused of supporting Iran’s efforts to acquire unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

According to the Treasury, the network is responsible for selling and shipping thousands of aerospace components, including those that can be used for UAV applications, to the Iranian Industrial Aircraft Manufacturing Company.

This company was involved in the production of the unmanned aerial vehicle model Shahed-136 that Iran is used to attack tankers and exported to Russia, according to the Treasury. Putin’s forces caused heavy damage and many deaths using these drones against Ukraine, especially in their early stages, when local forces had no specific technology to effectively stop them.

“Iran is directly implicated in Ukrainian civilian casualties resulting from Russia’s use of Iranian drones in UkraineUndersecretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson said in the statement.

Firms sanctioned include Chinese firms from Hangzhou, Shenzhen, Guilin and Hong Kong which the Treasury says sent light engines and other drone components to HESA, controlled by Iran’s Defense Ministry.

“The United States will continue to target Iranian global supply networks that supply Russia with deadly drones to use in its illegal war in Ukraine.Nelson added.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in January that Iran could contribute to war crimes in Ukraine by supplying drones to Russia.

Iran has acknowledged sending drones to Russia, but said they were sent before Russia’s February 2022 invasion. Moscow has denied that its forces used Iranian drones in Ukraine.

In another sanction action, the Treasury blacklisted 39 companies and entities from Iran, Hong Kong, China, Dubai and other countries for helping Iran sell petrochemicals to the internationally, thus violating the sanctions imposed on Tehran.

The US sanctions aim to block listed companies’ access to international markets and financial services, freezing their assets under US jurisdiction and prohibiting any US entity, including international banks with US branches, from doing business with them.

(With information from Reuters and AFP)

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