US Slaps Fresh Sanctions On Entities Aiding Iran’s Drone Production

The logistics were confirmed during a meeting between Mohammad Reza Farzin, the Governor of Iran's Central Bank, and Sheikh Bandar bin Mohammad Al Thani, the Governor of Qatar's Central Bank, according to the Iranian state news agency.

On September 18, Farzin announced that 5.73 billion euros from Iran's frozen assets had been deposited into the accounts of six Iranian banks held in two Qatari banks, namely Al-Dukhan and Al-Ahli.

Farzin further explained that Iranian banks had established accounts in the two Qatari banks, and all transactions were executed by Qatari bank representatives, as well as through SWIFT, in accordance with the agreed-upon terms.

In August, the United States and Iran unveiled a deal to release the frozen funds from South Korea in exchange for the release of five US citizens who were being held hostage by the Islamic Republic.

Qatar played a mediating role in the contentious agreement, which critics have characterized as the highest-ever ransom paid for hostages, totaling $1.2 billion per individual.

The document, shared with Western allies, advocates for the procurement of long-range missiles to target drone production facilities in Russia, Iran, and Syria, as reported by The Guardian on Wednesday.

The comprehensive 47-page report, delivered to G7 nations in August, discloses that over the past three months, more than 600 drone assaults leveraged unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) incorporating Western technology. Notably, the Shahed-131 and Shahed-136 drone models, containing 52 and 57 electrical components, respectively, sourced from Western companies, have been at the forefront.

The report singles out five European companies, including a Polish subsidiary of a British multinational, as the primary manufacturers of these components.

The document recommends actions, including "missile strikes on the production plants of these UAVs in Iran, Syria, as well as on a potential production site in the Russian Federation."

Furthermore, it proposes that such actions “may be carried out by the Ukrainian defense forces if partners provide the necessary means of destruction.”

The report also underscores a lack of coordination among EU intelligence agencies in addressing the misuse of Western components in these drones.

Additionally, the document notes that “almost all the imports to Iran originated from Turkey, India, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Costa Rica”.

Despite mounting evidence to the contrary, Iran continues to deny its provision of drones to Russia for the Ukraine conflict.

The US, the UK, the EU, Australia, and New Zealand have all imposed multiple rounds of sanctions on Iran due to its purported provision of drones to Russia in the Ukraine conflict.

The state-run news agency made the announcement about the imaging satellite on Wednesday. The announcement comes amidst escalating tensions between Iran and Western nations. Notably, Western officials have yet to acknowledge either the satellite launch or its successful orbital placement.

Iran has a history of promptly announcing launches that reach space on its state-run television channels, but it often refrains from acknowledging failed attempts.

The United States has previously accused Iran of violating a UN Security Council resolution by conducting satellite launches.

Nour belongs to a class of Iranian military Earth-imaging CubeSats. To date, two Nour satellites have been launched from Iran's Shahrud Desert, using three-stage Qased space-launch vehicles.

The first of these, Noor-1, was launched on April 22, 2020, and operated in a 425-kilometer orbit before decaying on April 13, 2022, marking a one-year lifespan. Nour-2, the second and currently operational, was launched on March 8, 2022, reaching a 500-kilometer orbit and providing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps with low-resolution overhead imagery.

Iran has launched several short-lived satellites into orbit over the past decade and, in 2013, sent a monkey into space. However, there have been five consecutive failed launches in the Simorgh program, which involves satellite-carrying rockets. A separate incident, a fire at the Imam Khomeini Spaceport in February 2019, resulted in the deaths of three researchers, as reported at the time.

In the previous year, Iran experienced another unsuccessful launch of a satellite-carrying rocket while attempting to revive a program that had drawn criticism from Western nations.

The army statement said the drones had crossed into its territory and their hauls of crystal methamphetamine were seized. It warned it would act forcefully to prevent any attempt to destabilize the country's security.

Jordanian officials blame Iranian-backed militias that hold sway in southern Syria. In August, Jordan shot down drones on three occasion.

Iran’s ally Syria is accused by Arab governments and the West of producing the highly addictive and lucrative amphetamine captagon and other drugs, and organizing its smuggling into the Gulf, with Jordan a main transit route.

President Bashar al-Assad's government denies allegations of Syria's involvement in drug-making and smuggling, as well as any complicity by Iranian-backed militias protected by units within the Syrian army and security forces.

Iran says the allegations are part of a Western plot against the country.

Jordanian officials say talks with senior Syrian officials to curb Iranian-run smuggling networks have reached a dead end.

Jordan's King Abdullah said last week that Iran and elements within the Syrian government were benefiting from the drug trade, adding he was not sure if Assad was fully in charge of the country.

"We are fighting every single day on our border to stop massive amounts of drugs coming into our country," Abdullah said.

"And this is a major issue that all the parties, including some people inside the (Syrian) regime, and the Iranians and their proxies, are all taking advantage of," the monarch was quoted as saying at the Middle East Global Summit conference in New York.

General Mark Milley, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff has stated that Washington was working closely with its ally to provide equipment, training and advice to deal with the growing drug trafficking threat.
With reporting by Reuters

During an interview with the state broadcaster Monday, IRGC Navy Commander Alireza Tangsiri announced the construction of approximately 900 residential units by his force for the people on the three islands of Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa. 

The measures by the IRGC are in line with the Islamic Republic’s policy to encourage people to live in the islands, where living conditions are dire in the absence of basic facilities. The government has also announced it is mulling over a plan to give free plots of land measuring 300sq meters (3,230sq feet) to anyone who commits to living on them. Moreover, it will also offer loans to build a home, as part of a national homeownership scheme, in a bid to incentivise Iranians to populate the contested area. 

The three Persian Gulf islands have historically been part of Iran, proof of which can be corroborated by historical and geographical documents. However, the UAE has repeatedly laid claim to the islands, describing the situation as “the continued occupation by the Islamic Republic of Iran.” The three islands fell under British control in 1921 but on November 30, 1971, a day after British forces left the region and just two days before the UAE was to become an official federation, Mohammad Reza Shah – the last monarch of Iran -- sent the Iranian navy to secure all three. Iranian forces remain on the islands, with only Abu Musa having a civilian population which is less than two thousand. 

Tangsiri reiterated that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has personally ordered efforts to increase the islands’ population “as a means to increase their security. We believe that we should settle the people on these islands so that our friends do not fear that we want to establish a military base against them," he stated, referring to Arab countries of the region who have collectively asserted the United Arab Emirates' right to sovereignty over the islands. 

The Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) -- a regional organization bringing together six countries of Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Saudi Arabia -- repeatedly expresses support for “the right of the State of the UAE to regain sovereignty over her three islands and over the territorial waters, the airspace, the continental shelf, and the economic zone of the three islands, as they are an integral part of the State of the United Arab Emirates.” 

Like China did in December, Russia signed a statement with the Gulf Cooperation Council in early July challenging Iran's ownership of three islands. Last week, the GCC foreign ministers, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and GCC Secretary General Jasem Albudaiwi published a joint statement following their meeting in New York expressing “their support for the United Arab Emirates’ call to reach a peaceful solution to the dispute.”

Speaking at the annual United Nations General Assembly earlier this week, UAE’s Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem Al Hashimy also reiterated her country’s demand that Iran stop its “occupation” of the three islands of Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa. She added that the UAE “continues to seek a resolution, either through direct negotiation or through the International Court of Justice. This has been our firm stance for decades.”

On Monday, Iran's permanent mission to the UN rejected the claim as “baseless,” saying, “Iran regards such groundless statements as violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of a member of the United Nations and a gross violation of international law and the United Nations Charter.” 

Tangsiri's remarks came against the backdrop of a series of maritime incidents involving Iran's seizure and harassment of vessels that prompted the US to strengthen its military presence in the region. This also came as Arab countries have stepped up efforts to claim the three islands leveraging their relations with Russia and China to sideline Iran. 

In recent months, Tehran's military forces have hijacked several Western tankers in what is seen as retaliation for previous Western seizures of Iranian oil. Iran's introduction of advanced maritime weaponry prompted Washington to extend armed protection to commercial ships traversing the Strait of Hormuz. In July, the US Defense Department announced the deployment of F-35 jet fighters and a Navy destroyer to the Middle East. 

Each day, 85 vessels, primarily oil tankers, pass through the Strait of Hormuz on average. A substantial portion of the world's crude oil is transported through these waters and thus, it has strategic importance.

Highlighting the strategic significance of the Strait of Hormuz, the IRGC Navy commander said that “the island of Greater Tunb, resembling an unsinkable aircraft carrier, is strategically positioned in the middle of the Strait of Hormuz, with full control over the entrance and exit routes of the strait.” 

Tangsiri added that the three islands along with Farvar, Sirri, and Lesser Farvar islands provide complete dominance over the entry and exit routes of the region. 

The Persian Gulf has numerous small islands with about 20 residential ones under Iran’s rule as well as about 20 without any local residents. Most islands are sparsely populated, with some being barren, and some utilized for communication, military, or as ship docks. 

Tangsiri said, “Foreigners have long cast covetous eyes on this region,” noting that the region’s vast oil and gas resources have further grown their eagerness.