Components from an Iranian drone on display at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington in 2018. The U.S. levied sanctions March 9, 2023, against five companies based in China that are accused of providing components to an Iranian drone producer supplying Russia. (EJ Hersom/Defense Department)
Five Chinese companies were added to a U.S. blacklist this week over accusations that they sold parts to an Iranian firm that manufactures drones used by Russia for attacks in Ukraine.
The Treasury Department says the firms used shell companies to hide sales of light aircraft engines and other components used in production of the Shahed-136 unmanned aerial vehicles that the U.S. believes Iran has exported to Russia.
“The United States will continue to target global Iranian procurement networks that supply Russia with deadly UAVs for use in its illegal war in Ukraine,” Treasury Undersecretary Brian Nelson said in a statement Thursday.
The sanctions announcement comes a month after U.S. diplomats warned of increasing Chinese support for Russia’s military.
China has said it wants a peaceful end to the war in Ukraine, but U.S. officials counter that Chinese manufacturers have increased sales of nonlethal aid to Russia and are considering sending lethal aid in the future, CNN reported in February.
The four companies based in mainland China that joined the sanctions list Thursday are Hangzhou Fuyang Koto Machinery, Guilin Alpha Rubber and Plastics Technology, S&C Trade PTY and Shenzhen Caspro Technology.
Also included in the sanctions are a fifth company based in Hong Kong, Raven International Trade, and an employee of one of the China-based firms, Yun Xia Yuan.
These companies sold thousands of aerospace components to the Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Co., the statement said. The U.S. says the company is controlled by Iran’s military and has been sanctioned since 2008.
The listings mark the sixth round of U.S. action against Iran’s drone program. Previous rounds in September and November targeted Iranian firms accused of helping fly Shahed-136 drones to Russia.
The Shahed-136 is a loitering munition drone that U.S. and Ukrainian officials say is being provided to Russia for attacks on Ukrainian cities, such as the strike Thursday that reports say killed at least six people.
The drone has been used by Iran and its proxies across the Middle East. Although Iran has denied supplying it to Russia, images of the drone with its trademark delta wings have been identified in videos showing Russian attacks in Ukraine.
Russia and Iran have deepened ties since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year.
Russia has been sending Iran captured weapons that the U.S. and NATO provided to Ukraine, possibly for reverse engineering, CNN reported Friday.
