The U.S. Sanctions Six Chinese and Hong Kong Companies for Selling Drone Parts to Iran

The U.S. Department of the Treasury has sanctioned six companies based in China and Hong Kong for selling drone parts to Iran. According to a report published by the Treasury Department on Wednesday, March 8, the mentioned companies were added to the U.S. blacklist for selling components necessary for drone manufacturing to the Iranian company 'Pishgaman Kashavgar Boshra' and its subsidiary 'Narin Sepehr Mobin Isatis.' The report adds that these companies play a leading role in facilitating the purchase and shipment of missile and drone components from foreign markets to Iran. The Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury had previously sanctioned a network linked to 'Pishgaman Kashavgar Boshra,' which was based in Hong Kong, for purchasing and sending Western technology for Iran's missile and drone program. At that time, the U.S. government stated that Iranian-made drones were used for terrorist activities, including dozens of deadly attacks by Iranian-affiliated militia groups against U.S. personnel, and that Yemen's Houthis, supported by the Islamic Republic, had attacked commercial ships and the U.S. Navy using Iranian-made drones and missiles. 'Pishgaman Kashavgar Boshra' and its executive director, Hamed Dehghan, were sanctioned in August 2019 during Donald Trump's previous presidency. The Treasury statement adds that this new action is in line with the 'maximum pressure' policy of the Trump administration against the Islamic Republic, targeting 'Pishgaman Kashavgar Boshra's' efforts to rebuild its supply network and continue purchasing critical components from foreign suppliers. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Busent has stated that Iran continues to seek new ways to acquire key components needed for the development of its drone military program from abroad through leading companies: 'The U.S. Treasury is committed to disrupting nefarious schemes that enable Iran to send deadly weapons to terrorist proxy groups and other destabilizing actors.' The widespread shipment of Iranian drones to Russia for use in the Ukraine war has also faced strong Western backlash, leading the U.S., U.K., European Union, and Canada to impose several rounds of sanctions against Iranian individuals, entities, and their foreign partners. In a related case, Re Hunt, a 71-year-old American citizen from Alabama, known by names such as Abdulrahman Hantoush, Rahman Hantoush, and Rahman Natoshas, was sentenced to five years in prison for violating the 'International Emergency Economic Powers Act.' He had pleaded guilty in July 2024 to conspiracy to illegally export U.S.-made goods to Iran and violating U.S. trade sanctions. According to court documents, Hunt registered 'Vega Tools LLC' in Alabama in May 2014, declaring its activity as 'buying and selling equipment for the energy sector.' From 2015 until his arrest in November 2022, he collaborated with two Iranian companies based in Tehran, illegally exporting U.S.-made industrial equipment for use in Iran's oil, gas, and petrochemical industries. The court stated that Hunt used deceptive methods to conceal these activities, including sending goods through intermediary companies in Turkey and the UAE, transferring money through UAE banks, and providing false information to shipping companies about the final destinations of the goods. He also lied to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers about the nature and existence of his company upon returning from a trip to Iran in March 2020. This case was pursued by federal prosecutors in Alabama and attorneys from the anti-espionage and export control division of the U.S. Department of Justice, leading to the issuance of the sentence.