On January 6, 2023, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the US Department of the Treasury designated six executives and board members of Qods Aviation Industries (“QAI”), which was designated by OFAC pursuant to Executive Order 13382 in December 2013, and also by OFAC and the US Department of State in November 2022 pursuant to Executive Order 14024. QAI is overseen by Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (“MODAFL”); it designs and manufactures military drones, including those that have been used by Russian forces to attack Ukraine. It is also known as Light Airplanes Design and Manufacturing Industries.
Among the six QAI executives and board members designated by OFAC pursuant to Executive Order 13382 for acting on behalf of QAI and MODAFL are Seyed Hojatollah Ghoreishi and Ghassem Damavandian, chairman of the board of directors and managing director of QAI, respectively.
Also designated is Nader Khoon Siavash, director of Iran’s Aerospace Industries Organization, which oversees Iran’s ballistic missile programs and was designated in 2005 pursuant to Executive Order 13382.
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 US person are blocked, and US persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions involving the designated persons.