WASHINGTON: The US on Tuesday imposed sanctions on seven people and four companies in China, Russia and Turkiye who officials allege are connected with the development of Iran鈥檚 drone program.
The US accuses Iran of supplying Russia with drones used to bomb Ukrainian civilians as the Kremlin continues its invasion of Ukraine.
The latest development comes after Iran鈥檚 President Ebrahim Raisi denied his country had sent drones to Russia for use in the war in Ukraine.
鈥淲e are against the war in Ukraine,鈥� President Raisi said Monday as he met with media executives on the sidelines of the world鈥檚 premier global conference, the high-level leaders鈥� meeting at the UN General Assembly.
The parties sanctioned Tuesday by Treasury鈥檚 Office of Foreign Assets Control include: An Iranian drone company previously sanctioned in 2008, now doing business as Shahin Co., its managing executives, a group of Russian parts manufacturers and two Turkish money exchangers, Mehmet Tokdemir and Alaaddin Aykut.
Treasury said the action builds on a set of sanctions it issued last March, when Treasury sanctioned 39 firms linked to an alleged shadow banking system that helped to obfuscate financial activity between sanctioned Iranian firms and their foreign buyers, namely for petrochemicals produced in Iran.
Brian E. Nelson, Treasury鈥檚 undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said Iran鈥檚 鈥渃ontinued, deliberate proliferation鈥� of its drone program enables Russia 鈥渁nd other destabilizing actors to undermine global stability.鈥�
鈥淭he United States will continue to take action鈥� against Iran鈥檚 drone program, he said.
Matthew Miller, a spokesman for the State Department, said the US 鈥渨ill continue to use every tool at our disposal to disrupt these efforts and will work with Allies and partners to hold Iran accountable for its actions.鈥�
Among other things, the sanctions deny the people and firms access to any property or financial assets held in the US and prevent US companies and citizens from doing business with them.
Tensions between the US and Iran remain high, despite the release of five American detainees from Iran this week in exchange for the release of nearly $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets.