Ukraine is expanding sanctions pressure on Iran in response to its military support for Russia, in particular through the transfer of more than 200 Fateh-360 ballistic missiles already in use by the Russian military. The new restrictions cover 40 legal entities and 6 individuals who play a key role in the production chains of Iranian drones and missiles. According to Ukrainian intelligence, the Russian military is already undergoing training in the use of these systems in Iran. This was reported by Komersant ukrainskyi
citing analytical data from the Economic Security Council of Ukraine (ESC).
Shahed manufacturers and Russian training grounds are under sanctions
The new package of sanctions includes Iranian and Russian companies involved in the production of Shahed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Among them:
- The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and related companies that manufacture and supply components for drones.
- The Russian training ground “Military Unit 20924”, where Shahed operators and its leadershipare trained.
- A network of Russian organisations affiliated with JSC Alabuga SEZ and Alabuga Machinery LLC, which provide key elements for UAV production. This group includes more than 25 companies that accumulate and distribute funds, supply critical components and equipment for the production of Shahed.
- Foreign companies from Hong Kong and the UAE that supply technology forUAV production to Russia.
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Iran Air: how Iran’s largest airline helps the regime
The new sanctions package pays special attention to Iran Air, the Iranian airline. This company has previously been subject to US sanctions for transporting cargo for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Iranian Ministry of Defence, including missile components that were transferred to Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria. The latest sanctions imposed by Ukraine and its Western partners, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and France, were a reaction to the supply of Iranian missiles to Russia.
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced a ban on Iran Air flights to London, while Germany and France cancelled their air services agreements with Iran. Nevertheless, NEC experts note that Iran Air is likely to continue its flights to Europe, as it did after the sanctions in 2018. The company announces regular flights to EU cities, including Frankfurt, London, Paris, and others.
International sanctions: the need for strengthening and coordination
The Economic Security Council of Ukraine emphasises the need for a strategic approach to sanctions. According to Denys Hutyk, Senior Advisor to the BES, it is not enough to restrict the largest companies – it is necessary to track their circumvention schemes, block front companies and control the cooperation of European airports with sanctioned entities.
It also points to discrepancies between sanctions imposed by Western partners that create loopholes for circumventing restrictions. For example, only the United States imposed sanctions on Sahara Thunder, a company controlled by the Iranian Ministry of Defence and involved in the production of Shahed in Russia. Experts call for closer coordination between partners and more effective information exchange to strengthen the sanctions regime.