WASHINGTON: The U.S. government imposed new sanctions on Tuesday against 13 individuals and entities spanning Russia, China, Hong Kong, and Pakistan, alleging their involvement in helping Iran acquire weapons and related components.
The Treasury and State Departments announced these penalties as part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to isolate Iran economically and compel negotiations to end the conflict triggered by a U.S.-Israeli strike on Iran on February 28.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated, “The Treasury will not tolerate any support for the regime and will continue to identify, expose, and isolate Iran’s enablers.”
The sanctions aim to degrade Tehran’s capacity to rebuild its weapons programs while raising costs for those who facilitated Iran’s procurement efforts.
Among those named in Tuesday’s announcement are Seyyed Asghar Alizadeh Tabatabai, a Beijing-based representative of Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics Agency, whom Treasury said coordinated the procurement of finished weapons systems and dual‑use components in China on Iran’s behalf; the Iran-based Kavoshcom Asia R&D Group, which Treasury alleged procured electronics including connectors for Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industries; Hong Kong-based EC Mojo Technology Co. Limited, identified as having provided electronic components supporting Kavoshcom’s procurement efforts, along with its China-based representative Li Fen; Pakistani businessman Waseem Pasha Tajammal, chairman of Cavalier Group—a privately held defense company operating in Pakistan and internationally; Joint Stock Company Experimental Design Bureau, a Russian aircraft manufacturer named after A.S. Yakovlev; MG‑Flot LLC, a Russian corporate entity transporting weapons for the Russian government; and Saha Airlines, an Iranian carrier linked to the nation’s armed forces.
Brett Erickson, managing principal with Obsidian Risk Advisers, remarked that the recent sanctions would be of limited value in curbing Iran’s ability to launch missiles and drones in the Strait of Hormuz.
“This represents optics management for the Trump administration to portray ‘we’re hammering them,’ when the reality is we may be merely poking them with a toothpick,” he added.
