The US imposed sanctions on 10 people and firms from Iran and Venezuela on Tuesday over allegedly contributing to Iran’s drone trade and ballistics programme, which the Trump administration said threatened the US and its allies in the Middle East.The Treasury Department said the latest measures were intended to support the reimposed United Nations sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme, further squeezing the Islamic Republic. Iran has long insisted its nuclear programme is peaceful.
Included in Tuesday’s sanctions was a Venezuelan firm and its chairman, accused of purchasing Iranian drones; three Iranian men connected with efforts to procure chemicals used for ballistic missiles; and a group of Iran-based people and firms connected to Rayan Fan Group, a holding company previously sanctioned by the US.
Who are they?
Venezuela-related sanctions (UAV trade with Iran)
1. Empresa Aeronautica Nacional SA (EANSA)
- Type: Company (Venezuela-based)
- Reason: Maintained, assembled, and supported Iranian-designed Mohajer-series UAVs for the Venezuelan military; materially assisted Iran’s Qods Aviation Industries (QAI).
2. Jose Jesus Urdaneta Gonzalez
- Type: Individual (Venezuela-based)
- Role: Chairman of EANSA
- Reason: Coordinated UAV production with Venezuelan and Iranian armed forces on behalf of EANSA.
Iran-related sanctions (ballistic missile procurement)
3. Mostafa Rostami Sani
- Type: Individual (Iran-based)
- Role: Procurement facilitator; Chairman of Pardisan Rezvan Shargh
- Reason: Procured missile-related chemicals (sodium perchlorate, sebacic acid, nitrocellulose) for Parchin Chemical Industries (PCI).
4. Pardisan Rezvan Shargh International Private Joint Stock Company
- Type: Company (Iran-based)
- Reason: Controlled by Rostami Sani; supported procurement efforts for Iran’s ballistic missile program.
5. Reza Zarepour Taraghi
- Type: Individual (Iran-based)
- Role: Managing Director of Pardisan Rezvan Shargh
- Reason: Acted on behalf of Pardisan Rezvan Shargh in support of PCI.
Iran-related sanctions (Rayan Fan Group / IRGC-linked tech network)
6. Fanavari Electro Moj Mobin Company (Fanavari)
- Type: Company (Iran-based)
- Reason: Owned or controlled by Rayan Fan Group (RFKA); linked to IRGC UAV and aerospace programs.
7. Bahram Rezaei
- Type: Individual (Iran-based)
- Role: Managing Director of Fanavari
- Reason: Acted on behalf of Fanavari and controlled related entities supporting Iran’s defense sector.
8. Kavoshgaran Asman Moj Ghadir Company (KAMG)
- Type: Company (Iran-based)
- Reason: Owned or controlled by Bahram Rezaei; connected to sanctioned defense-linked technology networks.
9. Erfan Qaysari
- Type: Individual (Iran-based)
- Role: Managing Director of KAMG
- Reason: Acted on behalf of KAMG.
10. Mehdi Ghaffari
- Type: Individual (Iran-based)
- Role: Vice Chairman of KAMG
- Reason: Acted on behalf of KAMG
