Imposing Sanctions Targeting Entities Facilitating Procurement of Sensitive Machinery for Iran’s Defense Industry

Today, the United States is sanctioning eight entities and one individual, and identifying one vessel as blocked property, for their involvement in the procurement and shipment of proliferation-sensitive machinery from China for Iran’s defense industry.  The sanctioned entities and individuals supported the shipment of sensitive machinery for U.S.-designated Rayan Roshd Afzar Company (RRA) and Towse Sanaye Nim Resanaye Tarashe, a company controlled by RRA executives; the vessel was used in that shipment.

This action implements the mandate of President Trump’s National Security Presidential Memorandum-2 to restore maximum pressure on Iran, including to deny Tehran nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missile capabilities, and to disrupt, degrade, and deny the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its surrogates from generating revenue to fund their destabilizing activities.

The United States will use all available means to expose and disrupt Iran’s schemes to procure equipment and items supporting its nuclear, UAV, and ballistic missile programs, or other proliferation-related activities, which destabilize the Middle East and beyond.

The Department of the Treasury’s action was taken pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13382, which targets proliferators of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their supporters.

For more information, see Treasury’s press release: https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0175.