The U.S. Sanctions Four Entities and One Individual Involved in Iran's Drone Program

On Friday, June 1, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions against four entities and one individual involved in the Islamic Republic of Iran's drone program. According to the statement, the four sanctioned entities are linked to "Ryan Roshd Afzar," which is already sanctioned for supplying key components in the Iranian government's drone program. The sanctioned companies are Ryan Fan Kavandish, Mechatronics Kish, Aerospace Technologies of Sepehr Structure, and Marsad Mohajer. OFAC also sanctioned Afshin Khajefard, a manager at Iran's Aviation Industries Organization, as one of the companies affiliated with the Islamic Republic's Ministry of Defense, overseeing two drone manufacturing companies named Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (HESA) and Quds Aviation Industries. Brian Nelson, the Deputy Treasury Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, stated that these new sanctions reinforce the U.S. commitment to disrupting the production and proliferation of lethal drones by the Islamic Republic, which are still being used by Russia against Ukraine and by "Iran's terrorist proxy groups against American soldiers." He emphasized that the U.S. will continue to target suppliers of necessary components for the Islamic Republic's drone program and those who facilitate the delivery of these drones to destabilizing actors worldwide. The increasing military cooperation between the Islamic Republic and Moscow since the onset of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, particularly in the drone sector, has prompted the U.S. and its allies to impose several sanction packages against individuals and entities involved in expanding these collaborations. The European Union will sanction nine individuals and entities linked to the Islamic Republic, New Zealand has sanctioned several individuals and entities associated with the Iranian government for supporting Russia in the Ukraine war, and Australia and the EU have sanctioned several officials and entities of the Islamic Republic. The U.S., the UK, and Canada have coordinated to impose sanctions against the Islamic Republic, and the U.S. has sanctioned two companies and four individuals related to the Islamic Republic's cyber operations.