The United States has imposed sanctions on eight entities and one individual, as well as identified a vessel as blocked property, in connection with the procurement and shipment of sensitive machinery from China to Iran's defense industry. The move is aimed at denying Iran nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missile capabilities.
According to the Department of the Treasury, 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.
The action implements President Trump's National Security Presidential Memorandum-2, which seeks to restore maximum pressure on Iran while denying Tehran nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missile capabilities. 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.
The Department of the Treasury took action pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13382, which targets proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and their supporters. This move is part of a broader effort to disrupt and degrade Iran's activities, including those of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its surrogates.
The sanctions are aimed at depriving these entities and individuals of access to the global financial system and limiting their ability to generate revenue from destabilizing activities in the Middle East and beyond.