The European Union Sanctions Quds Force Commanders and Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters

The European Union officially announced that it is placing Iran's Minister of Defense and the commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on its sanctions list due to the supply of missiles and drones used against Israel and Ukraine, as well as in Houthi attacks in the Red Sea. The sanctioning of Mohammad Reza Ashtiani, Iran's Minister of Defense, had previously been announced by diplomats, but on Friday, June 1, the EU stated that Esmail Qaani, the commander of the Quds Force, was also added to the sanctions list due to his role in transferring missiles used by Hezbollah against Israel and missiles fired by Houthi militants at ships in the waters around Yemen. The Quds Force, whose former commander Qassem Soleimani was killed in 2019 by American missiles, plays a key role in planning, arming, and training forces that operate as proxy groups for the Islamic Republic in the Middle East and beyond. The EU also sanctioned the Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters of the IRGC and its commander, Gholam Ali Rashid. The Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters is considered the most important military headquarters of the Islamic Republic. Gholam Ali Rashid, commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters, the naval forces of the IRGC, as well as the company 'Kavan Electronic Behrad' along with its CEO Mehdi Dehghani Mohammadi and its chairman Hossein Hatefi Ardekani, have also been sanctioned. Another individual announced on Friday to be on the EU sanctions list is Afshin Khajefard, head of the Aerospace Industries Organization of the Iranian Ministry of Defense. Under these sanctions, the assets of the mentioned individuals and entities will be frozen in EU countries, and they will be barred from traveling to these countries. Earlier in early May, the EU's foreign policy chief announced that EU member states had agreed in principle to expand sanctions against Tehran following missile and drone attacks by the Islamic Republic on Israel. Josep Borrell stated that the sanctions would go beyond supplying arms to Russia and would include providing drones and missiles to Tehran-affiliated proxy groups in the region. However, European countries have yet to reach a consensus on sanctioning the entire IRGC and listing it as a terrorist organization. The Islamic Republic launched hundreds of drones and cruise and ballistic missiles toward Israel on the night of April 14 in retaliation for an alleged Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate building in Damascus, which resulted in the deaths of several IRGC commanders. Most of the projectiles fired by Iran were intercepted and shot down by Israeli air defenses, with assistance from the U.S. and its allies in the region, before reaching their targets. The U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control also independently announced on Friday that it had imposed sanctions on four companies linked to Ryan Roshd Afzar (RRA), which had previously been sanctioned. These companies provided critical components for the Islamic Republic's drone production program. Additionally, on the sanctions list released on Friday, June 1, was an Iranian official from the Iranian Aviation Industries Organization, which is a subsidiary of the Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Support of Iran. Iranian aircraft manufacturing companies, including Quds Aviation Industries, which are drone manufacturers, are also included in the recent sanctions by the U.S. Treasury. The U.S. and the U.K. have imposed stricter sanctions against Iran. Under these sanctions, any of their assets in the U.S. will be blocked, and Americans are generally prohibited from dealing with them. There is also a risk of sanctions for those who engage in specific transactions with them. The action taken on Friday, June 1, is the latest effort by Washington to disrupt the production and proliferation of Iranian drones that are being used by Russia in its war against Ukraine. Brian Nelson, the U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, emphasized in a statement: 'This action reaffirms Washington's commitment to disrupting the production and proliferation of lethal drones from the Islamic Republic of Iran, which continue to be used by Russia against Ukraine and by Tehran's terrorist and proxy groups in the region against our forces.' The statement added: 'The U.S. Treasury will continue to impose costs on those seeking to provide Iran with the necessary components for its drone programs and facilitate the transport of these weapons to destabilizing actors around the world.' Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Iran has delivered thousands of Shahed drones to Russia. These drones have been used to wear down Ukraine's air defenses and strike infrastructure far from the front lines.