The US Treasury Department has imposed new sanctions on 10 individuals and entities linked to Iran and Venezuela, accusing them of supporting Tehran’s unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) programme and broader weapons proliferation activities.
The measures, announced by the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Tuesday, aim to disrupt growing cooperation between Iran and Venezuela that US officials say bolsters Iran’s military-industrial complex and threatens regional security.
Among those designated is Venezuela-based Empresa Aeronautica Nacional SA (EANSA) and its chair, Jose Jesus Urdaneta Gonzalez.
Treasury officials allege the company played a key role in acquiring Iranian-designed UAVs and facilitating their production in Venezuela.
According to OFAC, Urdaneta coordinated with members of the Venezuelan and Iranian armed forces to advance UAV manufacturing capabilities inside Venezuela, deepening defence ties between Caracas and Tehran.
“Treasury is holding Iran and Venezuela accountable for their aggressive and reckless proliferation of deadly weapons around the world,” said John Hurley, Treasury under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence.
Vowing continued swift actions
Hurley also said that Washington would continue taking “swift action” to deny supporters of Iran’s military programmes access to the US financial system.
The US State Department said EANSA contributed to the sale of “millions of dollars’ worth” of Iranian-designed UAVs, describing Iran’s arms transfers to Venezuela as a direct threat to US interests in the Western Hemisphere.
“Iran’s ongoing provision of conventional weapons to Caracas is a threat to US interests in our region,” State Department deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott said.
Pigott added that the sanctions reflect growing concern that Iran continues to proliferate combat drones and procure missile-related materials in violation of United Nations restrictions, as Washington pushes to reassert international pressure on Tehran through enforcement of UN Security Council resolutions.
“We will not hesitate to hold accountable anyone who supports Tehran’s proliferation activities,” he said.
