The United States imposes sanctions on companies involved in the production and transfer of Iranian drones to Russia

Washington
CNN
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On Tuesday, the US Treasury Department revealed additional sanctions on the entities involved in the Production and transportation of Iranian drones to Russia.

The sanctions target several aviation-related companies and two individuals — Abbas Juma and Tigran Khristoforovich Serapionov — who facilitated “the acquisition of drones by the Russian Wagner Group from Iran,” according to the ministry.

“As we have made clear time and time again, the United States is determined to punish the people and companies, no matter where they are, who support Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement.

“Today’s action exposes and holds accountable the companies and individuals who have enabled Russia to use Iranian-made drones to brutalize Ukrainian civilians. This is part of our larger effort to disrupt Russia’s war effort and deny the equipment it needs through sanctions and export controls.”

Last month, the United States imposed sanctions on an airline for its involvement in shipping Iranian drones to Russia. Such drones have She played an important role in the conflict in Ukraine since Russia launched its invasion in late February. They are able to circle for some time in an area that has been identified as a potential target and strike only as soon as they identify an enemy asset.

Russia has launched a series of drone attacks across Ukraine in recent weeks, striking vital civilian infrastructure and sowing terror in Ukrainian cities far from the front lines of the war.

While Iranian officials denied for months supplying Russia with any weapons for use in Ukraine, the Iranian government approved this month Sending a limited number of drones to Russia in the months leading up to its invasion of Ukraine.

Some Western countries have accused Iran of aiding the war in Ukraine by providing Russia with drones and missiles. The missile part is completely wrong. “The part about drones is correct, we provided a limited number of drones to Russia in the months before the war in Ukraine started,” Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabadollahian told reporters in Tehran.

Officials from a Western country that closely monitors Iran’s weapons program also told CNN earlier this month that Iran is preparing to send more attack drones, along with short-range surface-to-surface ballistic missiles, to Russia for use in its war effort.