An Iranian-made Shahed drone.
The U.S. government announced additional financial sanctions on Sept. 19 against the global supply chain for Iranian-made uncrewed air vehicles (UAVs) and regional transports, targeting individuals and entities also based in China, Russia and Turkey.
The sanctions block direct transactions with the seven individuals and four entities named by the U.S. Treasury Department and exposes anyone who has dealings with a financial institution that knowingly enables a significant transaction or service with them.
The goal of the sanctions is to make it harder for the Iranian Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (HESA) to build UAVs, such as Shahed 136s, which have been used against targets in the Middle East and transferred to Russia to launch against Ukraine.
“Iran’s continued, deliberate proliferation of its UAVs enables Russia, its proxies in the Middle East, and other destabilizing actors to undermine global stability,” said Brian Nelson, undersecretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence.
The new sanctions update a 15-year-old block on HESA to reflect that it also has been trading under the name of Shahin Co. since 2022. They also specifically target three HESA employees: managing director Mehdi Gogerdchian, chairman of the board Hamidreza Noori and UAV manufacturing director Husayn A’ini, the Treasury Department says.
Shenzen Jiasibo Technology Co., a Chinese company, also has been sanctioned for supplying radar altimeters, GPS and VHF antennas and sensors to HESA’s UAV program, Treasury says. The firm’s managing director, Su Chunpeng, also is personally sanctioned.
The Treasury Department had previously sanctioned China-based Guilin Alpha Rubber and Plastics Technology for selling aircraft brake disks to HESA, and the latest update also blocks dealings with Dong Wenbo, who is named as the sales representative.
In Turkey, the U.S. government has targeted two money exchangers—Mehmet Tokdemir and Alaaddin Aykut—for enabling financial transactions worth hundreds of thousands of dollars between HESA and Chinese aircraft engine suppliers.
The sanctions also penalize three companies in Russia for working with HESA to build or maintain An-140 aircraft made in Iran: Delta-Aero Technical Service Center, Aerosila and Star.
