Trump administration imposes sanctions on Iran drone and missile networks

The Trump Treasury Department and Justice Department announced new sanctions and legal efforts today (Tuesday) against Iranian illicit drone and missile networks, especially the Rah Roshd network which helps fund and supply the construction of Shahed drones and missiles.

According to the official statement, "the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), in coordination with the U.S. Department of Justice, is targeting a network of six entities and two individuals based in Iran, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) responsible for the procurement of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) components on behalf of Iran-based Qods Aviation Industries (QAI)—a leading manufacturer for Iran’s UAV program.  This network has also facilitated procurement for other entities in Iran's military-industrial complex, to include Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (HESA) and Shahid Bakeri Industrial Group (SBIG)."

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that "Iran’s proliferation of UAVs and missiles—both to its terrorist proxies in the region and to Russia for its use against Ukraine—continues to threaten civilians, U.S. personnel, and our allies and partners. Treasury will continue to disrupt Iran’s military-industrial complex and its proliferation of UAVs, missiles, and conventional weapons that often end up in the hands of destabilizing actors, including terrorist proxies."

The sanctions are part of a growing pressure campaign by the Trump administration to both curb Iranian terrorist and subversive attacks and to force Iran to agree to a deal in which the country agrees to give up on its nuclear weapons program.

The United States has also deployed multiple strategic bombers in the region capable of carrying the kind of munitions that could destroy Iran's best protected nuclear weapons development sites as part of this campaign.