Disrupting Iran’s Overseas Military Procurement Networks

Today, the Trump Administration is imposing sanctions on 11 entities and three individuals based in Iran, China, Belarus, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) involved in Iran’s efforts to acquire or use arms and related materiel. Included in today’s actions are several China-based entities providing satellite imagery to enable Iran’s military strikes against U.S. forces in the Middle East. Additionally, we are designating entities and individuals enabling efforts by Iran’s military to secure weapons, as well as raw materials with applications in Iran’s ballistic missile and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) programs.

Today’s action holds China-based entities accountable for their support to Iran. The United States will take all necessary action at its disposal to target third-country entities and individuals aiding Iran’s military and defense industrial base.

In furtherance of President Trump’s National Security Presidential Memorandum-2, the United States is acting to disrupt procurement networks supporting Iran’s military programs. This action represents the United States’ ongoing commitment to supporting the reimposition of United Nations (UN) restrictive measures and sanctions on Iran, which occurred as a direct result of Iran’s “significant non-performance” of its nuclear commitments.

Consistent with its UN obligations, the United States will use all available tools, including U.S. autonomous sanctions on the entities and individuals engaging in activities prohibited by UN Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs), to expose, disrupt, and counter Iran’s destabilizing activities and to stop Iran from engaging in activities related to the reconstitution of its proliferation-sensitive programs.

The Department of State’s action was taken pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13949, which targets certain persons with respect to the conventional arms activities of Iran. The Department of the Treasury’s action was taken pursuant to E.O. 13382, which targets proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and their supporters. For more information on today’s actions, please see the Department of State’s fact sheet and Department of the Treasury’s press release.