UK sanctions senior executives of Iran's Qods aerospace company

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
24 Feb 15:32

Once again, the West uses the pretense of supplying Russia with UAVs to be used against Ukraine to sanction Iranian entities.

The Union Jack flag as seen during a session of a parliament attended by Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson via video link on May 3, 2022 (Reuters)

The United Kingdom sanctioned senior officials of Iran's Qods Aviation Industry (QAI) aerospace company on Friday for allegedly having supplied drones to Russia for use in Ukraine.

"Today's designations also target the individuals and entities at the heart of [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s military-industrial complex, including... 5 senior Iranian executives in Qods Aviation Industry, the company manufacturing the drones used in Ukraine, which demonstrates our commitment to continue to pressure third countries supplying Russia's military," the government's statement read.

The Iranian CEO of Qods Aviation Industry, Ghassem Damavandian, among others, has been included in the most recent UK sanctions package against Russia under the pretense that Iran has cooperated with Russia to boost its special military operation in Ukraine.

On Friday, 92 additional people and businesses, including senior Russian government officials and executives of the nation's biggest energy corporations, were added to the UK's list of sanctions against Russia in connection with the special operation in Ukraine.

Earlier, on January 31, the US Department of Commerce announced, in a posting, that seven Iranian entities were added, to the US trade blacklist for the alleged production of drones that were sold to Russia and used in the war on Ukraine.

The US decision sought to curb exports to the seven Iranian firms which are: Design and Manufacturing of Aircraft Engines, Islamic Revolution Guard Corps Aerospace Force, Islamic Revolution Guard Corps Research and Self-Sufficiency Jihad Organization, Oje Parvaz Mado Nafar Company, Paravar Pars Company, Qods Aviation Industry, and Shahed Aviation Industries.

The US Commerce Department posting claimed that the Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that were produced have been transferred to Russia for use in the war in Ukraine, which both Iran and Russia repeatedly denied.

Another EU failure regarding new Russia sanctions

It is worth noting that the European Union countries failed to agree on a fresh batch of sanctions against Russia on Thursday, missing a planned deadline to have them in place for the one-year anniversary of the war in Ukraine, Reuters quoted diplomatic sources as saying.

To impose sanctions, all 27 EU member states must agree unanimously. According to the sources, Poland is opposing the package because of proposed exemptions to a ban on EU imports of Russian synthetic rubber.

Polish diplomats argued that the exclusions were so large that the sanctions would be rendered ineffectual. According to some sources, the exemptions were suggested to accommodate Italy and were supported by Germany.