Фото: @StateDeputySPOX
The U.S. State Department has announced sanctions against 11 organizations and three individuals accused of helping Iran acquire or use weapons.
The sanctions target companies and individuals from Iran, China, the UAE, and Belarus.
“Today’s action includes several China-based entities providing satellite imagery to support Iranian military strikes against U.S. forces in the Middle East. In addition, we are sanctioning entities and individuals facilitating the Iranian military’s procurement of weapons and raw materials used in Iran’s ballistic missile and unmanned aerial vehicle programs,” the State Department said.
The sanctions apply to the Belarusian company Armory Alliance LLC, Iranian citizen Mohammadmahdi Maleki, who resides in Belarus and works for the company, as well as the company’s director, Belarusian citizen Mohammed Ali Tolibov. In a U.S. Treasury Department press release, Tolibov is described as “a long-time procurement intermediary for Iran in Belarus.”
According to the U.S. side, the Belarusian company, together with the Hong Kong-based HK Hesin Industry Co Limited, acted as an intermediary in procurement deals for Iran’s Center of Progress and Development while concealing the end user. The scheme also involved Dubai-based Elite Energy FZCO, China’s Yushita Shanghai International Trade Co Ltd, and another Hong Kong company, AE International Trade Co Limited.
The sanctions also target companies involved in financing transactions and procuring servo motors for Iranian Shahed-136 drones, raw materials for the aerospace industry, and other supplies.