US imposes sanctions on companies producing Iranian drones used by Russia in Ukraine

On Tuesday, the United States imposed penalties on companies it claimed were engaged in the development of Iranian drones or their transfer to Russia for use in attacks against civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.

In a statement, the US Treasury Department said that it had imposed sanctions on the Shahed Aviation Industries Research Center, accusing it of having designed and manufactured the Shahed-series drones that have been employed by Russian forces in Ukraine.

Drones that Russia acquired from Iran were used to strike Ukrainian cities and power facilities. Due to Tehran's nuclear development programme, the United States has already imposed severe sanctions on Iranian military groups and enterprises.

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Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen stated in the statement, "As we have demonstrated repeatedly, the United States is determined to sanction people and companies, no matter where they are located, that support Russia’s unjustified invasion of Ukraine."

She used the acronym for the unmanned aerial vehicle to say that "today's action exposes and holds accountable companies and individuals that have enabled Russia's use of Iranian-built UAVs to brutalise Ukrainian civilians."

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The State Department on Tuesday also identified Qods Aviation Industries, a corporation previously subject to U.S. sanctions, the Wagner Group, a private military contractor, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force.

(with inputs from agencies)