The United States government has imposed a new round of sanctions on a global network of organizations involved in Iran’s production of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), better known as drones.
The action was taken on Wednesday (18 March) and affects forty-six entities and individuals who are said to have been part of a scheme to help Iran advance its drone production.
The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said that twenty-six of the entities and individuals are based in Iran or have close ties with the government there, and are said to have provided the Iranian government with help and materials to develop their UAVs.
The individuals and entities were identified as being affiliated with Iran’s Aerospace Industries Organization (AIO), which is responsible for developing military projects, including the production of UAVs.
The US said that the group attempted to acquire materials and technologies that could have helped with Iran’s UAV projects have been thwarted. It also claimed that the network was actively attempting to procure missile and nuclear related technology from Western countries.
The sanctions will prevent the individuals and organizations from doing business with U.S. entities, and freeze any assets they may hold in U.S. jurisdiction.
The move by the US comes a few weeks after Iran said it used a domestically-produced UAV to launch missile attacks in the disputed territory of Abyan, Yemen. The US government said at the time that it was “deeply troubled” by Iran’s actions, branding them “unacceptable provocations.”
The latest sanctions also come amid increasing rhetoric between the US and Iran, with the US recently declaring that it will not be held to a 2015 nuclear agreement if Iran continues its “malign activity.”
It is unclear whether the sanctions will affect Iran’s drone production, however, they are sure to increase tensions between the US and Iran.
The full list of entities and individuals affected by the US sanctions can be found on the OFAC website.