U.S. Sanctions Iranian Drone, Missile Producers

The Biden administration on Friday issued fresh sanctions targeting Iranian drone and missile production, seeking to disrupt the flow of weapons Tehran is providing Moscow for its war in Ukraine, TURAN's U.S. correspondent reports.

Washington blacklisted 7 individuals in leadership positions with the Qods Aviation Industries, an Iranian defense manufacturer responsible for the design and production of drones. The individuals sanctioned include the director of Iran’s Aerospace Industries Organization (AIO), the primary organization responsible for overseeing Iran’s ballistic missile programs, the statement read. The U.S. also added AIO itself to its sanctions list.

“Iran has now become Russia’s top military backer,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.

“Iran must cease its support for Russia’s unprovoked war of aggression in Ukraine, and we will continue to use every tool at our disposal to disrupt and delay these transfers and impose costs on actors engaged in this activity,” he added. 

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a separate statement that Russia’s reliance on Iran signals how sanctions from a U.S.-led coalition are severing its ability to replace weapons lost on the battlefield.

“The Kremlin’s reliance on suppliers of last resort like Iran shows their desperation," Yellen said.

Russia in recent months began attacking Ukraine with Iranian-made Shahed- and Mohajer-series UAVs, explosive-laden drones.

Alex Raufoglu

Washington D.C.