OFAC Sanctions Parties, Including in China, for Aiding Iran UAV Development
The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week sanctioned seven people and four entities in China, Iran, Russia and Turkey for their involvement with Iran’s drone development and production. The agency also updated the existing entry for U.S.-sanctioned Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (HESA) to add a new alias, saying that the company since last year has used the name Shahin Co. in contracts with overseas suppliers to evade U.S. sanctions and export controls.
The designations target Iran-based Mehdi Gogerdchian, HESA’s current managing director; Hamidreza Noori, HESA’s board vice chairperson; and Husayn A’ini, HESA’s director of unmanned aerial vehicle manufacturing. OFAC also sanctioned China-based Shenzhen Jiasibo Technology Co., Ltd., operated by Yun Xia Yuan, a U.S.-sanctioned HESA supplier; China-based Su Chunpeng, managing director and owner of Shenzhen Jiasibo; and Dong Wenbo, who has sold aircraft brake disks to HESA.
OFAC also sanctioned Russia-based Delta-Aero Technical Service Center LLC for supplying propellers and tires to HESA; Russia-based Joint Stock Company Scientific Production Enterprise Aerosila for performing ground and flight tests for HESA; Russia-based JSC Star for also working with HESA. Also designated were Turkey-based money exchangers Mehmet Tokdemir and Alaaddin Aykut.