Today, the Department of State is designating two individuals and one entity that have been involved in efforts to help the Iranian regime obtain man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS).
These designations continue a sustained U.S. campaign against Iran's military procurement networks involving MANPADS. They follow actions on May 8, June 10, and July 15, 2026. Together, these actions close off more of the channels Tehran uses to try to rebuild its arsenal and raise the risk for third-country brokers and suppliers. Today's action also supports enforcement of the UN arms embargo on Iran restored in September 2025. Those restrictions bar UN Member States from supplying such weapons to Iran.
The United States will keep exposing the networks that arm Iran's military and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and will keep denying the regime the resources that sustain its destabilizing activities.
All three targets are being designated pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13949, which targets certain persons with respect to the conventional arms activities of Iran. Designations Pursuant to Section 1(a)(iii) of E.O. 13949
- (U) MOHAMMED ALI TOLIBOV (TOLIBOV) is the Chief Executive Officer of Armory Alliance and has contributed to Armory Alliance's efforts to procure weapons on behalf of Iran. Armory Alliance is a Belarus-based entity that has acted as an intermediary between China-based companies and Iran and has been involved in efforts to facilitate the purchase of hundreds of MANPADS. Armory Alliance was previously designated pursuant to E.O. 13382 and E.O. 13949. TOLIBOV was previously designated under E.O. 13382.
- (U) VANGUARD TACTICAL SUPPLY LIMITED (VANGUARD) is a Nigeria-based entity that has been involved in efforts to facilitate the procurement of Chinese-origin MANPADS for Iran via false end-users. VANGUARD was previously designated under E.O. 13382.
- (U) ALISHER DOMULLODZHANOV (DOMULLODZHANOV) is a Russia-based individual who has been involved in efforts to facilitate the procurement of MANPADS for Iran.
Sanctions Implications
As a result of today's sanctions actions, and in accordance with E.O. 13949, all property and interests in property of the designated persons described above that are in the United States or in possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to the Department of Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). In addition, all entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked.
All transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons are prohibited unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC or exempt. These prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any blocked person and the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person.
The power and integrity of U.S. government sanctions derive not only from the U.S. government's ability to designate and add persons to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) List, but also from its willingness to remove persons from the SDN List consistent with the law.
