As War in Ukraine Grinds on, China Helps Refill Russian Drone Supplies
New York TimesNov 29, 2022
US Sanctions Network for Allegedly Supporting Iran's Drone Program
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Image copyright: Mohsen Shandiz/Corbis Historical via Getty Images (Aug. 22, 2010)
The Facts
The US Dept. of the Treasury issued fresh sanctions Tuesday against a foreign procurement network that has allegedly evaded trade restrictions to supply Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force Self-Sufficiency Organization with sensitive equipment used to build unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
This third package of sanctions on the production of Shahed-series suicide drones targets 10 entities and four individuals located in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Iran, and Malaysia — blocking their access to assets within the US and preventing them from doing business with US citizens and financial institutions.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
These sanctions are much needed to halt the nefarious Iran's drone program, which poses a threat not only to regional security but also to international peace. Without such measures to enforce existing restrictions to prevent Iran from accessing dual-use technology, Tehran will be able to continue ramping up its drone production and supply Russia and other of its allies with drones to use in conflict zones.
Establishment-critical narrative
Military cooperation between amicable countries, such as Russia and Iran, is both a legitimate and effective strategy for ensuring regional security and economic growth. The West continues to use Ukraine as a propaganda tool to demonize Iran-Russia ties as a threat to global peace, but such accusations are baseless attempts to distort the reality of friends on the international stage. Western hysteria over Iran's drone program is a prominent example of this.
