The US Treasury Department announced Wednesday that it has designated one individual and six entities in a sanctions evasion network that has facilitated Iran’s procurement of electronic components for its destabilizing military programs, including those used in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
The department said Iran’s proliferation of UAVs and other weapons continues to destabilize the Middle East region and beyond.
"The network sanctioned today has procured goods and technology for the Iranian government and its defense industry and UAV program,” said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson.
The sanctions targeted Mehdi Khoshghadam, who heads Pardazan System Namad Arman (PASNA), an Iranian company already under US sanctions, in addition to six entities in Iran and elsewhere.
The Treasury accused Khoshghadam of leading a “sanctions evasion network” by using PASNA’s front companies to procure electronic components from foreign suppliers, mostly based in China.
