US unveils sanctions targeting Iran's drone program
The Treasury Department issued fresh sanctions on Friday targeting individuals and companies the United States says are supporting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ drone program.
The Biden administration sanctioned several Iranian companies and individuals on Friday in connection with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ drone program, including an Iranian commander believed responsible for the deadly attack this summer on the Mercer Street commercial vessel.
A statement from the Treasury Department described the use of lethal unmanned aerial vehicles by the IRGC’s elite Quds Force in attacks on international shipping and on US forces. Iranian-supplied drones are also used by Tehran-backed groups in countries including Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen as well as in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, the statement said.
“Iran’s proliferation of UAVs across the region threatens international peace and stability. Iran and its proxy militants have used UAVs to attack US forces, our partners, and international shipping,” Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo said in a statement.
“Treasury will continue to hold Iran accountable for its irresponsible and violent acts,” he said.
