The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury has designated an IRGC linked air transportation company for its role in the transfer of Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to Russia for use in its conflict with Ukraine.
Additionally, the Iranian Navy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and its Aerospace Force (IRGC ASF) are receiving a designation from OFAC against three companies and one person who is engaged in the development, manufacture, procurement, and research and development of Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and UAV components, including the Shahed series of drones.
Russian military flights between Iran and Russia, including those involving the transfer of Iranian UAVs, troops, and associated equipment from Iran to Russia, have been organised by Tehran-based Safiran Airport Services (Safiran), which is IRGC linked. Information also suggests that the Russian Aerospace Forces want to use Iranian UAVs in their conflict with Ukraine alongside Russian UAVs after manufacturing and testing.
UAVs were built and tested for the IRGC Navy by Paravar Pars Company, which is closely related to the IRGC-controlled Imam Hossein University. The Iranian Shahed-171 UAV was created by the IRGC ASF, and Paravar Pars Company was engaged in its research, development, and construction. In the past, the IRGC ASF provided Paravar Pars Company with UAVs created in the United States and Israel, which were subsequently used to copy and reverse-engineer locally produced UAV models.
All property and interests in property owned by people or companies that are physically present in the United States or in the ownership or control of Americans must be prohibited and reported to OFAC because of today’s decision. The rules of OFAC typically forbid any transactions involving any property or interests in property of blocked or designated individuals by U.S. persons or within the United States (including transactions transiting the United States).