Washington
CNN
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On Friday, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on officials associated with an Iranian defense company that designs and manufactures aircraft used by Russia in the war in Ukraine, and the director of a “senior the group responsible for overseeing Iran’s missile programs.”
Russia used Iranian drones to attack Ukraine, targeting civilian areas and critical infrastructure “to try to turn off the lights, turn off the heat, turn off the water for Ukrainians as they go into winter.” ,” according to the US Secretary of State. Antony Blinken.
Friday’s sanctions apply to “six directors and members of the board of directors of the US Qods Aerospace Industries” and the director of the Iran Aerospace Industries Association, according to a Treasury statement.
“We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to deny Putin the weapons he is using to launch his barbaric and inhumane war against Ukraine,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement. .
“The Kremlin’s reliance on providers of last resort like Iran shows its dismay in the face of Ukraine’s determination and the success of our global alliance in disrupting Russia’s military supply chain and depriving them of their supplies.” need to replace the weapons they lost in the battlefield.” Yellen said. “The United States will take immediate action against individuals and entities that support Iran’s UAV and ballistic missile programs and will stand firm in support of the people of Ukraine.”
In a separate statement, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said “Iran has now become a major supporter of the Russian military.”
“Iran must end its support for Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, and we will continue to use every tool at our disposal to disrupt and delay these changes and impose a price on the the drama that is part of this project,” he said Friday.
The United States has been trying to stop Iran’s program for years through sanctions and export controls. But CNN reported this week that parts made by more than a dozen American and Western European companies were found in an Iranian drone shot down in Ukraine last year, according to an investigation by Ukrainian intelligence.