Iran · updated 48m ago · 3 min read
US Treasury Sanctions 10 Entities Supporting Iran’s Military Procurement Networks
Ten individuals and entities sanctioned for aiding Iran's military procurement. Networks span China, Hong Kong, Pakistan, and Iran's defense procurement.
10 outlets told this the same way.
Outlets did split on Mojtaba Khamenei Honors Nasrallah, Says Hezbollah Banner Now Held by Naim Qassem →
8 of 9 outlets skipped it: reuters adds Russia-based firms and shipping companies in sanctions list..
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New sanctions target procurement
The US Treasury Department sanctioned 10 individuals and companies on Tuesday for allegedly supporting Iran’s military procurement, adding them to its list of global entities being sanctioned over alleged ties to the Iranian military. The US Treasury accused representatives and technology firms based in China, Pakistan, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia of procuring weapons and parts for Iran’s military, and it said three of the sanctioned entities were located in Iran. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, "Treasury will not tolerate any support to the regime and will continue to identify, expose, and isolate Iran's enablers," as the measures were undertaken as part of Operation Economic Outcast.
The US Treasury said the sanctions targeted procurement for Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics, which it described as responsible for weapons research, production and acquisition for Iran’s armed forces. The US Treasury also described Seyyed Asghar Alizadeh Tabatabai as a MODAFL representative in Beijing who "coordinates the procurement of finished weapons systems and dual-use components in China on Iran's behalf."
Names, networks, and numbers
The US Treasury Department sanctioned Seyyed Asghar Alizadeh Tabatabai, a Beijing-based representative of Iran's Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics, and it said he coordinated the procurement of finished weapons systems and dual-use components in China on Iran's behalf. The US Treasury said Iran-based Kavoshcom Asia R and D Group procured electronics including connectors for Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company, and it said Hong Kong-based EC Mojo Technology Co Limited provided electronic components in support of Kavoshcom’s procurement efforts. The US Treasury also included EC Mojo’s China-based representative Li Fen, and it accused Li of attempting to evade sanctions and export controls.
The US Treasury targeted Pakistan-based Waseem Pasha Tajammal, who serves as chairman of Cavalier Group, and it also sanctioned Cavalier Dynamics for Technologies Company in Saudi Arabia and Cavalier Dynamics Teknoloji Ticaret Anonim Sirketi in Turkey. Brett Erickson, managing principal with Obsidian Risk Advisors, said the latest sanctions action would do little to impede Iran's ability to launch missiles and drones in the Strait of Hormuz, calling it "optics management for the Trump administration to claim 'We're hammering them,' when the reality is we're poking them with a toothpick."
War pressure and economic fallout
The sanctions were imposed as Iran has been locked in a war with the US and Israel since February 28, after the two allies launched a series of deadly attacks targeting Tehran’s leadership and military. The US Treasury said Operation Economic Outcast aimed to further restrict Iran’s access to global markets, and it said the action would "degrade the Iranian regime’s ability to reconstitute its weapons programs" while increasing costs for those who aid Tehran’s military procurement efforts. The sanctions campaign coincided with Iran’s currency falling to a record low, with traders in Tehran exchanging more than 2.5 million rials to the US dollar.
The PBS account said the latest action targeted people and firms accused of being financial facilitators or enablers of Iran's military supply chain, as the Trump administration pushed forward with economic warfare against Tehran at a time when renewed diplomacy between the two countries remains uncertain. The sanctions also came as critics argued the war had no clear end in sight, despite claims of victory on both sides, and the report said the US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced Operation Economic Outcast in August to pressure Tehran into agreeing to a deal to end the war.