US Sanctions Chinese and Hong Kong Companies Helping Build Iranian Drones

The US Department of the Treasury has announced new sanctions on Chinese and Hong Kong companies allegedly helping build Iranian military drones. 

The latest sanctions were described as part of President Donald Trump’s “maximum pressure campaign on Iran.”

Six entities operating out of China and Hong Kong were sanctioned for reportedly supplying critical components of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), i.e., drones, to Iranian company Pishtazan Kavosh Gostar Boshra (PKGB) and its subsidiary Narin Sepehr Mobin Isatis (NSMI).

According to the Treasury Department, PKGB and NSMI are major suppliers for Iran’s drone and ballistic missile programs.

“Iran continues to try to find new ways to procure the key components it needs to bolster its UAV weapons program through new front companies and third-country suppliers,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent.

President Trump previously issued executive orders during his first term and earlier this month to undermine Iran’s drone and ballistic missile programs. 

“Treasury remains committed to disrupting the schemes that enable Iran to send its deadly weapons abroad to its terrorist proxies and other destabilizing actors,” continued Secretary Bessent. 

US-Iran tensions have reached unprecedented levels, as the latter has increased hostile activity against the former and its allies since Hamas’ October 7th attacks.

Trump has repeatedly stated he will leverage US military, financial, and diplomatic strength to deter Iran from executing and financing its destabilizing agenda.

Earlier this week, the Trump administration announced a series of measures tightening sanctions on Iran’s illicit oil sales via its ‘Ghost Fleet.’

Iran has recently expanded efforts to circumvent US-imposed oil exports by covertly shipping Iranian oil through a network of foreign tankers colloquially referred to as Iran’s ‘Ghost Fleet.’

According to the Treasury Department, Iran has harnessed its illicit oil trade to generate billions of dollars that it subsequently funnels to its military and proxy groups.

Sanctions target oil brokers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Hong Kong, tanker operators and managers in India and the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the head of Iran’s National Iranian Oil Company, and the Iranian Oil Terminals Company (IOTC).