The US Treasury Department sanctioned on Thursday Iranian companies that are producing drones and were shipping Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to Russia for use in the invasion of Ukraine.
According to the Treasury’s press release, its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has designated Safiran Airport Services, an air transportation service provider, for its involvement in the shipment of Iranian drones to Russia.
The Tehran-based company was also sanctioned for coordinating Russian military flights between Iran and Russia, including flights transporting Iranian personnel and UAV-related equipment.
Additionally, OFAC has designated three other companies and one individual involved in the research, development, production, and procurement of Iranian drones – including the Shahed series of drones – and related components for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its Aerospace Force (IRGC ASF) and Navy.
Closely associated with Imam Hossein University, which is controlled by IRGC, the Paravar Pars Company was specifically involved in the research, development, and production of the Iranian Shahed-171 UAV. The company has also tested drones for the IRGC’s Navy.
Additionally, IRGC was sending US-made and Israeli-made drones to the company which then reverse-engineered them to reproduce Iranian-made versions.
According to the Treasury’s release, the Design and Manufacturing of Aircraft Engines (DAMA) company were involved in the same activities as Paravar Pars Company, but was also serving as a front for covert procurement activities of Iran’s Aircraft Manufacturing Industries (HESA).
HESA is affiliated with both Iran’s Defense Ministry and Armed Forces Logistics.
DAMA was involved in the manufacture and procurement of equipment for jet engines for the IRGC and in acquiring equipment to modify drone components that IRGC would be producing locally and using in its UAVs.
The third sanctioned company Baharestan Kish Company, whose managing director Rehmatollah Heidari was also sanctioned, was in charge of a number of defense-related projects.
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