The US has issued more sanctions on Iran’s drone program after the country’s president denied supplying Russia

WASHINGTON – The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on seven people and four companies in the country China, Russia And turkey Who officials claim are connected to the development of Iran’s drone program.

The United States accuses Iran Supply Russia With drones used to bomb Ukrainian civilians as the Kremlin continues Its invasion of Ukraine.

The latest development comes after Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi He denied sending his country drones To Russia for use in the war in Ukraine.

“We are against the war in Ukraine,” President Raisi said on Monday while meeting with media officials on the sidelines of the world’s first global conference, a meeting of high-level leaders at the United Nations General Assembly.

The parties designated by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control on Tuesday include: an Iranian drone company previously sanctioned in 2008, now operating as Shaheen Company and its executives, a group of Russian parts manufacturers, and two Turkish currency exchanges; Mehmet Tokdemir and Aladdin. Aykut.

The Treasury Department said the measure depends on a set of sanctions against it Released last March, When the Treasury Department imposed sanctions on 39 companies linked to an alleged shadow banking system that helped obscure financial activity between sanctioned Iranian companies and their foreign buyers, specifically petrochemicals produced in Iran.

Brian Nelson, Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, said Iran’s “continued and deliberate proliferation” of the drone program enables Russia “and other destabilizing actors to undermine global stability.”

He added that “the United States will continue to take action” against Iran’s drone program.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the United States “will continue to use every tool at our disposal to obstruct these efforts and will work with allies and partners to hold Iran accountable for its actions.”

Among other things, the sanctions prevent people and companies from accessing any property or financial assets owned in the United States and prohibit US companies and citizens from doing business with them.

Tensions between the United States and Iran remain high, though Five American detainees released from Iran this week in exchange for the release of nearly $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets.