‘Iran exploits financial systems to launder funds, procure components for its nuclear and conventional weapons programs,’ a Treasury Department official said.
The United States has imposed sanctions on dozens of individuals and entities across several countries, including China and Hong Kong, for operating procurement networks to aid Iran’s ballistic missile and drone production.
The Treasury Department announced the sanctions on 32 individuals and entities on Nov. 12, marking the second round of nonproliferation measures since the U.N. Security Council reinstated an arms embargo and other sanctions on Iran in late September.
Other countries where those sanctioned were based include Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, India, Germany, and Ukraine.
“Across the globe, Iran exploits financial systems to launder funds, procure components for its nuclear and conventional weapons programs, and support its terrorist proxies,” John Hurley, undersecretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, said in a statement.
“At the direction of President Trump, we are putting maximum pressure on Iran to end its nuclear threat. The United States also expects the international community to fully implement UN snapback sanctions on Iran to cut off its access to the global financial system.”
One of the networks involved a three-person venture that the Treasury described as the “MVM partnership,” which is accused of buying chemicals used to make ballistic missile propellant from China on behalf of Iran’s Defense Industries Organization. The chemicals included sodium chlorate, sodium perchlorate, and sebacic acid.
Sodium perchlorate, derived from sodium chlorate, is used to make ammonium perchlorate, a chemical that helps fuel many solid rocket engines.
According to the Treasury, the partnership “procured and transported hundreds of metric tons” of these chemicals from China since 2023.
The three individuals running the partnership are Marco Klinge, based in the UAE, and Majid Dolatkhah and Vahid Qayumi, who are based in Iran and Turkey, respectively. The Treasury blacklisted the three and several entities tied to them.
China-based national Ma Jie and 11 entities are also sanctioned, as part of another network aiding Iran-based Oje Parvas Mado Nafar Company. Mado Company, which was sanctioned by the United States in 2021, manufactures the Iranian military’s one-way attack drones, the Shahed-131 and the Shahed-136.
By Frank Fang
