On Wednesday, December 18, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctioned two entities and two individuals for their roles in developing and procuring sensitive navigation components for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
According to the Treasury Department’s statement, the IRGC Aerospace Force Self-Sufficiency Jihad Organization (IRGC ASF SSJO) and other Iranian regime organizations use these critical components to manufacture and proliferate drones and missiles.
Simultaneously, the U.S. Department of State also sanctioned one individual, and two entities involved in Iran’s drone and missile programs.
The Treasury Department’s statement further noted that Wednesday’s sanctions were coordinated with the Departments of Commerce and Justice, with the Justice Department assisting in coordinating the arrest of one of the sanctioned individuals.
Bradley T. Smith, Acting Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, emphasized Iran’s persistent efforts to acquire critical components to facilitate the production of ballistic missiles and drones, stating, “The United States will continue to disrupt Iran’s attempts to provide its deadly weapons to Russia, its terrorist proxies, and other destabilizing actors around the globe.”
Sanctioned Entities and Individuals by the Treasury Department
Sanat Danesh Rahpuyan Aflak Company Ltd: According to OFAC, this company is engaged in consulting, designing, manufacturing, and supplying navigation and automation systems, including those for cruise and ballistic missiles, drones, and unmanned surface and underwater vehicles.
Kaveh Merat: He is the Chief Technology Officer, chairman of the board, and a shareholder of Sanat Danesh Rahpuyan Aflak Company Ltd.
Illumove SA: Mohammed Abedininajafabadi is the sole board member and CEO of this Switzerland-based company, which, according to OFAC, solely represents the interests of Sanat Danesh Rahpuyan Aflak abroad, including procuring Western electronic equipment and other technologies.
In recent years, the United States and the European Union have imposed extensive sanctions on individuals and entities involved in Iran’s drone and missile programs, as well as on human rights violators and those responsible for suppressing protesters.
In response, the Iranian regime, despite repeated Western warnings about continued sanctions, remains adamant about persisting with its destabilizing activities in various domains, including military and human rights issues.
