The United States on Friday sanctioned Iran’s drone program increasing pressure on Tehran ahead of possible reopening nuclear talks.
“Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated members of a network of companies and individuals that have provided critical support to the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) programs of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its expeditionary unit, the IRGC Qods Force (IRGC-QF).” The US Department of the Treasury said in a statement.
According to the statement, Brigadier General Saeed Aghajani, the commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force (IRGC ASF) UAV Command as well as two companies were also sanctioned.
“The IRGC-QF has used and proliferated lethal UAVs for use by Iran-supported groups, including Hizballah, HAMAS, Kata’ib Hizballah, and the Houthis, and to Ethiopia, where the escalating crisis threatens to destabilize the broader region. Lethal UAVs have been used in attacks on international shipping and on U.S. forces,” reads the statement.
Kimia Part Sivan Company (KIPAS), Abdollah Mehrabi (Mehrabi) and Oje Parvaz Mado Nafar Company (Mado Company) were also sanctioned for working with IRGC’s Quds force “to improve the force’s UAV program.”
Iran called on Friday evening the latest US sanctions against its entities as "completely contradictory behaviour".
"A government that talks about an intention of returning to the nuclear deal but continues Trump's policy of sanctions is sending the message that it really is not reliable," Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Saeed Khatibzadeh, said in remarks published on the Ministry's official website.
Khatibzadeh said that the US pressure will not inflict "the slightest damage" on the Iranian government's determination to defend the country.
