US Slaps New Sanctions on Network Accused of Arming Iran's IRGC

The US Treasury Department has sanctioned seven individuals and entities across Iran, Russia, Italy and Nigeria for allegedly helping procure weapons for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The United States rolled out a fresh round of sanctions Wednesday, targeting seven individuals and companies spread across Iran, Russia, Italy and Nigeria, all accused of helping Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps get its hands on weapons. The timing isn’t random. This latest action follows Iran’s attacks on commercial ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, and it’s specifically designed to choke off the procurement and financial pipelines that Washington believes are keeping Iran’s weapons programs running.

“Today, following Iran’s attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned targets involved in an international network supporting weapons procurement efforts on behalf of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps,” read a statement from US Treasury Department.

“Treasury will continue to target and disrupt the illicit procurement networks that fund Iran’s weapons programs and war machine,” Bessent wrote on X. These sanctions were issued under Executive Order 13382.

In Iran, the Treasury Department named Behrouz Namazi, who runs Tehran based Nika Jet Company, accusing him of working to procure weapons on behalf of the IRGC. His company, Nika Jet, was sanctioned right alongside him for allegedly acting on his behalf.

Russia saw three separate designations. Mariya Vladimirovna Selina, who works as a procurement agent and heads the finance department at Moscow based Avratek OOO, was accused of helping support the IRGC’s procurement efforts. Avratek itself was sanctioned for reportedly backing Namazi’s operations. A third Russian national, Vadim Anatolyevich Druzhbin, who also works at Avratek, was accused of arranging travel and coordinating shipments bound for Iran.

Outside of Iran and Russia, two more names were added. Vanguard Tactical Supply Limited, based in Nigeria, was accused of serving as a go between in weapons procurement deals. And in Italy, an individual named Dounia Ettaib was named as an alleged participant in procurement activity connected to Namazi.