New York, IRNA –The U.S. Department of the Treasury has imposed sanctions targeting a network of entities and individuals it accused of being involved in procuring components for Iran’s drone program.
The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), in collaboration with the Department of Justice, announced the new sanctions on Tuesday.
The Treasury accused the network of six entities and two individuals – operating in Iran, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and China – of being involved in procuring unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) components on behalf of Iran-based Qods Aviation Industries (QAI)— a subsidiary of the Iran Aviation Industries Organization (IAIO) and a leading manufacturer of Iranian drones.
This marks the second round of sanctions allegedly targeting an Iranian weapons procurement network since U.S. President Donald Trump issued National Security Presidential Memorandum 2 on February 4 as part of a broader “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran.
The memorandum outlines measures to restrict Iran’s ballistic missile and nuclear programs and curb its support for regional resistance groups.
On Tuesday, the Department of Justice also unsealed criminal charges against two Iranian nationals, Hossein Akbari, 63, and Reza Amidi, 62, along with the Iranian company Rah Roshd Company.
The charges, filed in the Eastern District of New York, allege that the defendants attempted to supply material support to Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) and tried to acquire U.S. technology for Iranian drones.
Both Akbari and Amidi are currently at large.
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