Iran: US puts trade restrictions on Iranian firms over supply of drones to Russia

Iran has come under heavy scrutiny after the West alleged that Tehran was providing Russia with drones to use in its war in Ukraine. The United States has imposed trade restrictions on Iranian entities that produced the drones Russia has used in the war.

The US Department of Commerce said on Tuesday that it was imposing trade restrictions on seven Iranian entities for producing drones that were supplied to Russia. The agency placed the entities on an export controls list for those engaging in activities that were contrary to US national security and foreign policy interests. The new additions to the department’s list were in a preliminary filing in the US Federal Register and have yet to be officially published on Wednesday.

The Iranian entities that were targeted include Design and Manufacturing of Aircraft Engines, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Research and Self-Sufficiency Jihad Organization, Oje Parvaz Mado Nafar Company, Paravar Pars Company, Qods Aviation Industry, and Shahed Aviation Industries.

Those who are suppliers to the entities are required to have licenses that ship goods and technology, but the licenses will likely be denied aside from those for food and medicine. The licenses would be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

The Iranian mission to the United Nations in New York said the new sanctions have no effect on Tehran’s drone production as the drones are all produced domestically.

Iran has come under increasing scrutiny from the West over several major issues such as the nuclear deal, its crackdown on the ongoing protests, and the supply of drones to Russia.

Previously, a US official on Sunday said that Israel was likely involved in the overnight drone strike at an Iranian military factory in Isfahan, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal. One US official also told Reuters that Israel was involved. This follows Iran’s claim that it shot down drones that intercepted a military-industrial target in the central city, but that there was no damage and there were no casualties from the incident.

Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Patrick Ryder said the US was not involved in any drone strike in Iran but did not comment further.