U.S. Treasury Sanctions 20 Individuals, Entities, and Vessels in Iran and Russia

The U.S. Treasury Department has sanctioned 20 individuals, entities, and vessels linked to the delivery of parts and weapon systems from Iran to Russia. According to a statement from the Office of Foreign Assets Control in the U.S. Treasury on Tuesday, September 11, 10 individuals and 6 entities based in Iran and Russia used four vessels to transfer weapons from the Islamic Republic of Iran, including drones and short-range ballistic missiles, to Russia. The names of the sanctioned Iranian individuals and entities include: Rouhollah Katabi (based in Russia and a liaison between the two countries), Ebrahim Bahrami (an employee of Kharazi Industries, a body managed by the Bakri Industries Group), Ali Jafarabadi (commander of the aerospace force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps), Ali Zareh, Gholamreza Aini-Sarkaleh, Masoud Nourahmadi, Iran Air, the transport company Azadegan (linked to the IRGC), and three of its subsidiaries: Amad Behineh Engineering Company, Danagostar Quality Control and Engineering Inspection Company, and Talie Sabz Jahan Group, as well as the Office of Propulsion System Design Farzanegan and its managers, Hossein Pourfarzaneh, Zahra Pourfarzaneh, and Hassan Pourfarzaneh. A Russian individual named Jamaluddin Amir Magomedovich Pashaev (owner of Russian shipping companies) along with four Russian vessels named Boris Kastudiv, Port Olia-3, Port Olia-4, and Kompozitor Rakhmaninov are also among those sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury. According to this statement, all assets of these individuals and entities in the U.S. are blocked, and providing or receiving any money, goods, or services related to these individuals is prohibited. The statement notes that Tehran and Moscow agreed last year to send hundreds of missiles from Iran to Russia. This summer, Russian military personnel were trained in Iran to work with the short-range ballistic missiles 'Fath 360'. Subsequently, Russia received its first shipment of these missiles from Iran earlier this month. The statement also mentions that the U.S. State Department has sanctioned three entities, including Iran Air and five vessels involved in the transfer of Iranian weapon systems to Russia. Following the transfer of ballistic missiles from the Islamic Republic to Russia, the U.S., along with the U.K., Germany, and France, implemented new sanctions on Tuesday against individuals and entities involved in this operation. The U.S., U.K., France, and Germany are sanctioning Iran Air. The U.S. warns that the delivery of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia will be met with 'significant consequences'. The European Union states that the shipment of ballistic missiles signifies a substantial increase in the Islamic Republic's support for Russia's aggression against Ukraine. Kyiv expresses concern over the transfer of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia, stating it threatens Ukraine, Europe, and the Middle East.