US Sanctions 12 in China, Iran for Procuring Weapons Parts

The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week sanctioned five people and seven entities across mainland China, Hong Kong and Iran for helping to provide key parts to Iran’s missile and drone programs. OFAC said they procure accelerometers, gyroscopes and other components that “serve as key inputs” for Iranian weapons programs, which that country uses to produce drones for Russia and its “proxies” in the Middle East.

One designation targets Shenzhen Rion Technology Co., Ltd., a China-based technology company that the Bureau of Industry and Security added to its Entity List in December 2021. The company specializes in “GPS-integrated navigation systems,” which it sells in Iran and to China-based Beijing Shiny Nights Technology Development Co., a company sanctioned last year for working on behalf of Iran’s military (see 2306060043).

The designations also target Sayyed Ali Seraj Hashemi, an Iranian national based in both Iran and China who works for Beijing Shiny Nights. Hashemi works closely with Iranian procurement agent Saeed Hamidi Javar, who has helped procure accelerometers and gyroscopes for Beijing Shiny Nights and who OFAC said is also the managing director of Iran-based Buy Best Electronic Pars Company.

The agency also sanctioned Iran-based Mohammad Abdollahi and Hong Kong-based Thomas Ho Ming Tong, who procure optical components on behalf of Iran-based Electro Optic Sairan Industries Co, a company sanctioned last year for its ties to Iran (see 2310180033). OFAC said Tong uses Hong Kong- and mainland China-based companies Tas Technology Company Limited, Cloud Element Company Limited and Btw International Limited to procure parts and arrange payments for Electro Optic Sairan Industries, and he is also the director of Hong Kong-based Bright Shore Inc Limited.

The agency also designated Iran-based Azmoon Pajohan Hesgar Limited Liability Co., a sensor and inertial navigation system test equipment manufacturer, along with Ezzatullah Ghasemian Sorbani, the company’s managing director. The company has "coordinated the procurement of electronic components and missile applicable items" for entities controlled by the Iranian military, OFAC said.