US Targets Network Supporting Iran’s Drone, Weapons Programs

The Department of the Treasury's seal outside the Treasury Department building in Washington on May 4, 2021. (AP)
The Department of the Treasury's seal outside the Treasury Department building in Washington on May 4, 2021. (AP)
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US Targets Network Supporting Iran’s Drone, Weapons Programs

The Department of the Treasury's seal outside the Treasury Department building in Washington on May 4, 2021. (AP)
The Department of the Treasury's seal outside the Treasury Department building in Washington on May 4, 2021. (AP)

The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on four entities and three people in Iran and Türkiye, accusing them of involvement in the procurement of equipment, including European-origin engines of drones, in support of Iran's drone and weapons programs.

The US Treasury Department said in a statement the procurement network operates on behalf of Iran's Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics.

It marks the latest move by Washington targeting Iran's unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) industry. The US earlier this month imposed sanctions on a China-based network over accusations it has shipped aerospace parts to an Iranian company involved in the production of drones that Tehran has used to attack oil tankers and exported to Russia.

"Iran’s well-documented proliferation of UAVs and conventional weapons to its proxies continues to undermine both regional security and global stability,” Treasury's Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Brian Nelson, said in the statement.

"The United States will continue to expose foreign procurement networks in any jurisdiction that supports Iran’s military industrial complex."

Iran's mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Tuesday's move freezes any US assets of those targeted and generally bars Americans from dealing with them. Those that engage in certain transactions with them also risk being hit with sanctions.

Among those designated was Iran-based Defense Technology and Science Research Center (DTSRC), Amanallah Paidar, who Treasury said has served as a commercial manager and procurement agent for DTSRC, and Farazan Industrial Engineering, Inc., established by Paidar.

Turkish citizen Murat Bukey was also designated. The Treasury accused him of facilitating the procurement of a variety of goods with defense applications, including chemical and biological detection devices, for Paidar.

The Treasury said Bukey also "attempted to provide European-origin engines with UAV and surface-to-air missile applications to Paidar and Farazan and, separately, sold more than 100 European-origin UAV engines and related accessories worth more than $1 million to companies that likely transshipped the items to Iran."

Spain's high court in April last year agreed to extradite Bukey to the United States.

He was arrested in the Barcelona airport at the request of US prosecutors, who suspect him of importing from the US and selling in Iran fuel cells that can be used in powering ballistic missiles and biodetection in 2012 and 2013, the court said.



Kremlin Says It ‘Noted’ Trump’s Statement on Shorter Deadline for a Ceasefire in Ukraine 

Ukrainian servicemen of the 59th brigade mobile air defense unit fire a Soviet made ZU-23 anti-aircraft twin autocannon towards a Russian drone during an air attack near Pavlograd, Dnipropetrovsk region on July 19, 2025, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AFP)
Ukrainian servicemen of the 59th brigade mobile air defense unit fire a Soviet made ZU-23 anti-aircraft twin autocannon towards a Russian drone during an air attack near Pavlograd, Dnipropetrovsk region on July 19, 2025, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AFP)
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Kremlin Says It ‘Noted’ Trump’s Statement on Shorter Deadline for a Ceasefire in Ukraine 

Ukrainian servicemen of the 59th brigade mobile air defense unit fire a Soviet made ZU-23 anti-aircraft twin autocannon towards a Russian drone during an air attack near Pavlograd, Dnipropetrovsk region on July 19, 2025, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AFP)
Ukrainian servicemen of the 59th brigade mobile air defense unit fire a Soviet made ZU-23 anti-aircraft twin autocannon towards a Russian drone during an air attack near Pavlograd, Dnipropetrovsk region on July 19, 2025, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AFP)

The Kremlin said on Tuesday that it had "taken note" of a statement by US President Donald Trump that he was shortening his deadline for Moscow to sign up to a ceasefire in Ukraine or face sanctions.

Trump set a new deadline on Monday of 10 or 12 days for Russia to make progress toward ending the war in Ukraine or face consequences, underscoring frustration with President Vladimir Putin over the 3-1/2-year-old conflict.

Asked about Trump's statement on Tuesday during a conference call with reporters, the Kremlin kept its remarks short.

"We have taken note of President Trump's statement yesterday. The special military operation continues," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, employing the term that Moscow uses for its war effort in Ukraine.

"We remain committed to a peace process to resolve the conflict around Ukraine and to ensure our interests in the course of this settlement."

Trump threatened on July 14 to impose new sanctions on Russia and buyers of its exports within 50 days, a deadline which would have expired in early September.

But on Monday, during a visit to Britain, he shortened that deadline and said: "There's no reason in waiting... We just don't see any progress being made."

Trump, who has held half a dozen calls with the Kremlin leader since returning to the White House in January, also said he was "not so interested in talking any more".

Peskov declined to comment on that remark.