US sanctions three over alleged bid to arm Iran with air defense
The designations target a network accused of seeking Chinese-origin man-portable missiles for Iran by using false end-users.
The United States sanctioned two individuals and one entity on Wednesday over alleged efforts to help Iran obtain man-portable air-defense systems, Turkey's state-run news agency Anadolu Agency reported.
The State Department said the measures were meant to block channels Tehran uses to rebuild its arsenal, and that they raise the risk for third-country brokers and suppliers.
The department named the targets as Mohammed Ali Tolibov, chief executive of Belarus-based Armory Alliance, and Alisher Domullodzhanov, who is based in Russia.
It also listed Nigeria-based Vanguard Tactical Supply Limited as one of the designated entities.
The department alleged that the network tried to procure Chinese-origin MANPADS for Iran, using false end-users as part of the scheme.
The State Department said Washington would keep exposing networks that arm Iran's military and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and would keep denying Tehran the resources that sustain what it called destabilizing activities.
MANPADS are portable surface-to-air missile systems that a single person can fire, and their transfer is tightly controlled under international arms rules.
The United States has repeatedly imposed sanctions on Iran-linked procurement networks in recent years, targeting suppliers of military components and weapons systems that Washington says could be used against US partners in the region.
