US Sanctions Firms Over Alleged Iranian Drones in Ukraine

Facts

• On Thurs., the US Dept. of the Treasury announced sanctions against several Iranian companies for allegedly producing and transferring drones to Russia for use in Ukraine.
• Tehran-based Safiran Airport Services, one of the sanctioned companies, is accused of coordinating military flights between Iran and Russia transporting drones, personnel, and equipment.
• Three other firms – Paravar Pars Company, Design and Manufacturing of Aircraft Engines, and Baharestan Kish Company – have been designated for their alleged involvement in the research, development, and production of Iranian Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.
• The sanctions freeze any assets the companies may hold in the US and generally prevent all dealings by people in the US that involve the companies' property.
• Last week, a Pentagon official claimed that Russia had received the first delivery of Iranian drones, with most of them allegedly defective, according to US intelligence.
• This comes as Iran and the US have made little progress so far in their indirect talks to restore the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal.

Sources: Al Jazeera, US News, Reuters, RFERL, France24, and Iran Intl.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Washington Post. This is a necessary step in halting the dangerous and growing partnership between Moscow and Tehran, with Iran having become Russia's only weapon supplier. While this emerging alliance may isolate Russia even more in the long term, it poses another complication to restoring the already stalled 2015 Iranian nuclear deal.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Tehran Times. Despite Iran having openly expressed its opposition to the war in Ukraine, the West keeps falsely accusing Tehran of supporting Russia. This smear campaign comes as a desperate attempt to halt Iran's technological advances now that the country is capable of producing and exporting drones.