US imposed sanctions on suppliers of components for Shahed drones

The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has imposed sanctions on an international network that helped supply components for Iran’s Shahed kamikaze drones to Russia for its war in Ukraine.

Some of the components obtained and supplied via this network were discovered in the wreckage of a Shahed-136 recently shot down in Ukraine. 

“Iranian-made UAVs continue to be a key tool for Russia in its attacks in Ukraine, including those that terrorise Ukrainian citizens and attack critical infrastructure. The United States, in coordination with our allies and partners, will insist on holding accountable those who facilitate Iran’s proliferation of its UAVs to Russia and its proxies in the Middle East.”

Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Brian E. Nelson

Who are the suppliers?

The network is made up of five legal entities and two persons based in Iran, the People’s Republic of China (PRC), Hong Kong, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

This network facilitated supplies to the Russian Federation and financial transactions in support of the procurement of servo motors, a critical component used in Iran’s Shahed series UAVs.