The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on five Chinese companies for supplying critical components to Iran’s drone maker Iran’s aircraft manufacturing plant. An Iranian company reportedly made drones used by Tehran to attack oil tankers and used by Russia in its war with Ukraine.

Message: The US Treasury Department has implicitly linked several Chinese companies to Russian drone strikes in Ukraine and Iranian attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf region. Shahed-136 drones from Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Factory, also known as HESA, were used in the Russian and Iranian attacks. The company is owned by the government of Iran.

• The US State Department issued sanctions on Thursday in an attempt to undermine support for the Kremlin’s war machine.
• The sanctions target a network of five China-based companies that sold “thousands of aircraft parts” to Iran. The network mainly caters to the Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industry Corporation.
  • “Iran is directly involved in the Ukrainian civilian casualties resulting from Iran’s use of UAVs,” Deputy Treasury Secretary Brian Nelson said. “The US will continue to target Iranian networks that supply Russia with deadly UAVs for use in its illegal war in Ukraine.”
• The Washington sanctions freeze all US assets owned by the Chinese network and prohibit Americans from doing business with related companies.

Closest ties are Moscow and Tehran

• Iran has acknowledged sending drones to Russia, but says they were sent before Russia’s February 2022 invasion. Moscow has denied its forces used Iranian drones in Ukraine.
• The White House has said Iran may be contributing to war crimes in Ukraine by supplying Russia with drones used to attack civilian infrastructure.
• Moscow and Tehran close relationships After Russia invaded Ukraine a year ago, it triggered Western sanctions.