On June 20, 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control targeted one individual and eight entities for their alleged roles in helping Ryan Roshd Afzar Company (“RRA”) to procure and/or transport sensitive machinery for Iran’s defense industry. RRA was designated by OFAC in 2017, and then again in 2024, for producing technical components for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (“IRGC”) and its unmanned aerial vehicle program and producing software for IRGC’s aerospace program. OFAC also identified vessel Shun Kai Xing as blocked property and designated its owner, Hong Kong-based Unico Shipping Co Ltd, for allegedly transporting sensitive machinery for RRA and Towse Sanaye Nim Resanaye Tarashe, a newly-designated company that is controlled by RRA executives. OFAC reported that this action was taken pursuant to National Security Presidential Memorandum-2, which was issued in February 2025 to order a campaign of maximum pressure on Iran and prevent the Iranian government from developing missiles and other weapons capabilities.
The new designations were imposed pursuant to Executive Order 13382, which targets those involved in the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their supporters. As a result of these designations, all property and interests in property of these designees within the United States or within the possession or control of a U.S. person are blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions involving the designated persons. Entities owned 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked.