On April 19, the United States sanctioned an Iranian man and six companies based in Iran, China, Hong Kong, and Malaysia that procured electronic components for Iran’s drone and military programs. The network was linked to Pardazan System Namad Arman (PASNA), an Iran-based company designated in 2018 for ties to the Ministry of Defense. The United States “will continue to enforce its sanctions against Iran’s military procurement efforts that contribute to regional insecurity and global instability,” Treasury Under Secretary Brian Nelson said in a statement.
By the spring of 2023, Iran had exported drones or drone technology to at least five countries on four continents as well as to at least seven proxy militias in the Middle East. Tehran’s largest exports were hundreds of Shahed-136 suicide drones and Mohajer-6 attack drones provided to Russia, beginning in August 2022, for use in Ukraine.
The move marked the eighth round of U.S. sanctions on Iran’s drone program since Russia began importing drones from the Islamic Republic. The designations froze all assets of the cited people and organizations in the United States and restricted any transactions using dollars or the American financial system. They were imposed under Executive Order 13382, which applied to entities accused of supporting Iran’s nuclear proliferation and missile-related activities. The following is a list of those sanctioned and a statement from the Treasury Department.
The United States designated the following man and firms:
Mehdi Khoshghadam, managing director of PASNA
Amv AJ Nilgoun Bushehr Co., an Iran-based front company for PASNA
PASNA International SDN. BHD., a Malaysia-based front company for PASNA
Arttronix International (HK) Limited, a Hong Kong-based firm that supplied electronic components to PASNA
Jotrin Electronics Limited, a China-based firm that supplied electronic components to PASNA
Vohom Technology (HK) Co., Limited, a China-based firm that supplied electronics to PASNA
Yinke (HK) Electronics Company Limited, a China-based firm that supplied electronic components to PASNA
Second publication by courtesy of The Iran Imprimer, Original-Text
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