US issues sanctions over efforts to supply Iran with portable air-defence weapons

The US has imposed sanctions on two men and a company accused of helping <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/tags/iran" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/tags/iran">Iran</a> procure man-portable air-defence systems (<a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/mena/syria-what-the-rebel-downing-of-helicopters-means-for-idlib-bombardment-1.985361" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/mena/syria-what-the-rebel-downing-of-helicopters-means-for-idlib-bombardment-1.985361">Manpads</a>), the State Department has announced.

The State Department said on Thursday that the three targets had been involved in attempts to assist in the acquisition of the shoulder-fired weapons, which are capable of downing helicopters and some types of fighter jet. The sanctioned people are Mohammed Ali Tolibov, chief executive of the Belarus arms intermediary Armoury Alliance, and Alisher Domullodzhanov, who is based in Russia. The third target is Nigeria's Vanguard Tactical Supply.

The State Department said Armoury Alliance had acted as an intermediary between Chinese companies and Iran and sought to assist in the purchase of hundreds of Manpads. Vanguard was accused of helping Iran procure Chinese-origin systems using false end-users, while Mr Domullodzhanov was allegedly involved in efforts to assist in weapons procurement. Washington said the latest measures were part of a sustained campaign against Iranian military procurement networks, following similar actions in May, June and July.