New U.S. sanctions target supply of Iranian drones to Russia

Reuters – Jan 6th 2023

WASHINGTON, Jan 6 (Reuters) – The United States on Friday issued new sanctions targeting suppliers of Iranian drones that Washington said have been used to target civilian infrastructure in Ukraine during the conflict with Russia.

Russia has been attacking vital Ukraine infrastructure since October with barrages of missile and drones, causing sweeping power blackouts as cold weather sets in.

The U.S. Treasury Department said it imposed sanctions on six executives and board members of Iran’s Qods Aviation Industries (QAI), also known as Light Airplanes Design and Manufacturing Industries.

The Treasury described Qods Aviation Industries (QAI), which has been under U.S. sanctions since 2013, as a key Iranian defense manufacturer responsible for designing and producing drones.

“We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to deny (Russian President Vladimir) Putin the weapons that he is using to wage his barbaric and unprovoked war on Ukraine,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in the statement.

Iran’s mission to the United Nations in New York and Russia’s embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Iran has previously acknowledged sending drones to Russia but said they were sent before Russia’s February invasion. Moscow has denied its forces used Iranian drones in Ukraine.

Friday’s sanctions reflect U.S. concerns about Iranian-Russian military cooperation and Russia’s use of Iranian drones to hit Ukraine, a threat that could become more potent if Tehran were to provide missiles to Moscow to shore up Russian supplies.

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https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/us-targets-supply-iranian-drones-russia-new-sanctions-2023-01-06/