The US is imposing sanctions on 16 entities and eight individuals as well as identifying five vessels and one aircraft as blocked property for facilitating illicit trade and the sale of unmanned aerial vehicles in support of Iran's Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics, the State Department announced in a statement Thursday morning.
The United Kingdom and Canada are also imposing sanctions targeting several entities and individuals involved in Iran's UAV procurement and other military-related activities, according to the statement.
The State Department identified one of the targets as Sahara Thunder, a key front company for MODAFL's illicit financing and a central player in Iran's design, development, manufacture, and sale of thousands of UAVs, which many have ultimately been transferred to Russia for use in its war against Ukraine.
According to the statement, "the United States will continue to hold Iran accountable for its transfer of UAVs and other dangerous military hardware to Russia and to regional proxies."
British sanctions
Britain on Thursday announced new sanctions targeting Iranian individuals and businesses in the country's defense sector for involvement in what it said was "hostile activity" by the Iranian government.
Britain had added six designations under its Iranian sanctions regime, an official notice showed.
Reuters contributed to this report.