Today, the United States is sanctioning entities and individuals primarily based in China and Hong Kong for their support to Iran's ballistic missile program. Iran remains heavily reliant on China to conduct its malign activities in the Middle East. This is another example of how the CCP and China-based companies provide key economic and technical support to Iran and its proxies driving regional instability and threatening U.S. partners and allies.
Specifically, these entities and individuals are supporting Iran's efforts to indigenize the manufacturing of carbon fiber for use in Iran's ballistic missile program. These entities and individuals support the supply of carbon fiber, its precursors, and carbon fiber manufacturing equipment to the various Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) sub-organizations that oversee this effort, including U.S.-designated IRGC Aerospace Force Research and Self Sufficiency Jihad Organization (IRGC ASF RSSJO) and IRGC Research and Self Sufficiency Jehad Organization (IRGC RSSJO).
Today's action is part of President Trump's National Security Presidential Memorandum-2, which employs maximum pressure to curtail Iran's ballistic missile program and disrupt, degrade, and deny the IRGC and its terrorist proxies the resources necessary to sustain their destabilizing activities.
The United States will use all available means, including sanctions on entities based in third countries, to expose and disrupt Iran's schemes to procure equipment and items supporting its ballistic missile program, which destabilizes the Middle East and beyond.
The Department of Treasury's action was taken pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13382, which targets proliferators of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their supporters.
