UK and US Impose Additional Sanctions on Iran and Russia Over Ballistic Missile Delivery

The United Kingdom and the United States have imposed new sanctions on Iran and Russia after the Iranian regime transferred ballistic missiles to Russia.

This is reported on the websites of the UK government and the US Treasury Department.

The UK sanctions include the Russian Aerospace Forces, the 924th State Centre for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and the Russian Military Transport Aviation Command. The UK also imposed restrictive measures on five Russian vessels: Skif-V, Omsk, Mysa Jalil, Begey, and Baltic.

The UK also imposes sanctions on a number of key individuals and organisations for their role in facilitating Iran's military support to Russia, including those involved in ballistic missile and drone supply chains, and will cancel bilateral air services agreements with Tehran, which will limit Iran Air's ability to fly to the UK.

On the sanctions list:

• Brigadier General Seyyed Hamzeh Ghalandari, Director General for International Relations of the Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics. He is associated with Iran's export of defence products to its partners.
• Second Brigadier General Ali Jafarabadi, head of the Space Command of the IRGC Aerospace Forces (IRGC-AF). He oversees Iran's testing of space launch vehicles, which has contributed to the development of Iran's long-range ballistic missile arsenal.
• Majid Mousavi, Deputy Commander of the IRGC-IAC.
• Amir Ali Hajizadeh, Deputy Commander of the IRGC-IRGC, who oversees the development and operation of Iran's ballistic missile inventory.
• Also on the list are the Enzeli Free Industrial Zone, Baharestan Kish and its managing director Saad Saseh Faraz Sharif, and Chekad Sanat Faraz Asia.

In turn, on 10 September, the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on 10 individuals, 6 organisations and 5 vessels from Iran and Russia that help arm Russia with Iranian drones and ballistic missiles. The list includes the Tehran-based airline Iran Air.

‘The United States and partners are responding to Iran's escalating decision to provide ballistic missiles to Russia for its military efforts,’ the department explained.

The Ministry cites the reasons for the sanctions. In particular, at the end of 2023, Iran and Russia signed a contract to supply hundreds of missiles. In the summer of 2024, Russian military personnel were trained in the use of Iranian Fateh-360 missiles, and in early September 2024, Russia received the first batch of these missiles from Iran.

‘Today, the United States and our allies are taking concerted action in response to Iran's reckless decision to proliferate ballistic missiles to Russia for use in its aggressive war against Ukraine (...) Iran has decided to increase its involvement in Russia's illegal war, and the United States, along with our partners, will continue to support Ukraine,’ said Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo.

The US State Department has added three entities to the sanctions list, including Iran Air. The company transported cargo on behalf of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Iranian Ministry of Defence. Iran also used Iran Air to provide cargo services to Russia, including the supply of electronics and aircraft parts.

The State Department also identified five Russian vessels as blocked property involved in the proliferation of Iranian weapons systems to Russia. These are the vessels of the Russian TransMorFlot LLC - Boris Kustodiev, Port Olya-3, Port Olya-4, Composer Rachmaninoff and ETIM EMIN, which was renamed SAPFIR in July 2022.

In addition, the United States has imposed restrictions on the following individuals and entities:

• Ruhollah Katebi from the Iranian Ministry of Defence, who is establishing contacts with the Russian government;
• Ebrahim Bahrami, who organised training for the Russian military in Iran;
• Ali Ja'farabadi from the IRGC Air Force Command, who supervised the launch of satellites in Iran;
• Jamaldin Pashayev - controls a network of Russian shipping companies operating in the port of Olya and the Russian Federation;
• the Iranian transport company Azadegan, an affiliate of the IRGC, and its related legal entities Amad Behineh Saz Engineering Company, Sanjesh Gostar Dana Engineering and Quality Inspection Company and Talieh Sabz Jehan Group Company;
• Chairman of the Board of Directors of Azadegan Ali Zare, his deputy Golamreza Eini Sarkallah and acting Managing Director Masoud Nourahmadi;
• Farzanegan Propulsion Systems (Farzanegan) supplied Russian arms manufacturers with engine samples to support Russian cruise missile development. Hossein Pourfarzaneh, Zahra Pourfarzaneh and Hassan Pourfarzaneh, who are leaders or officials of Farzanegan.