📰 5 sources 6 articles · 29 Sep 2026, 20:21 → 18 days ago

US sanctions on individuals and entities for supporting arms purchases for Iran's Ministry of Defense

The US Treasury announced Tuesday sanctions on 10 individuals and entities accused of helping Iran's Ministry of Defense purchase weapons and components, including entities based in China, Hong Kong, Pakistan and Iran. The sanctions come within the Trump administration's campaign to economically isolate Iran and press it to negotiate an end to the US-Iran war, after another round of indirect talks between Washington and Tehran. The US Treasury and State Departments later announced sanctions on 13 individuals and entities, some of them in Russia.

📍 Where things stand: The US sanctions on Iran's arms supply network remain in place and were later expanded to 13 individuals and entities under joint measures by the Treasury and State Departments.

⏱️ Timeline

29 Sep 2026, 20:21 The US Treasury imposed sanctions on 10 individuals and entities that procured weapons for Iran's Ministry of Defense.
29 Sep 2026, 21:36 The sanctions covered 10 individuals and entities, including entities based in China, Hong Kong and Pakistan, for helping Iran's Ministry of Defense buy weapons and their components; the list included Iran's Ministry of Defense representative in Beijing and companies in Iran, Hong Kong and Pakistan. The sanctions come within a broader effort by President Donald Trump's administration to economically isolate Iran and press it to negotiate an end to the US-Iran war.
29 Sep 2026, 21:55 The new US sanctions target Iran's arms supply chain and come after another round of indirect talks between Washington and Tehran on a possible agreement to end the war. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that those providing material, technological or financial support to Iran will continue to be targeted.
29 Sep 2026, 23:01 The US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions on 10 individuals and entities in several countries, accusing them of involvement in purchasing weapons and military components for Iran's Ministry of Defense; the measures included the ministry's representative in Beijing, Sayyed Asghar Ali Zadeh Tabatabai, the Iranian company "Kavoshcom Asia", and "EC Mojo Technology" in Hong Kong.
29 Sep 2026, 23:18 US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the department "will not tolerate any support for the regime", noting that the sanctions aim to undermine Tehran's ability to rebuild its weapons programs and raise the cost for its supporters, as part of the efforts of President Donald Trump's administration.
30 Sep 2026, 08:47 The US Treasury and State Departments announced sanctions on 13 individuals and entities, some of them in Russia, China, Hong Kong, Pakistan and Iran, on charges of helping Tehran obtain weapons systems and their components. The step comes within the Trump administration's campaign to increase pressure on Iran's economy and push Tehran to the negotiating table to end the war that began last February with American and Israeli attacks.

Timeline written by AI from the sources below; updated as new reports arrive.

How the sources covered it

Coverage varied between focusing on the details of the list and the technical sanctions and the names included, highlighting the political context of the indirect talks and the US pressure campaign, and directly quoting the statements of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

IMLebanon Presented the news in few lines, focusing on the Treasury imposing sanctions on 10 individuals and entities that procured weapons for Iran's Ministry of Defense, without details on their nationalities or names.
annahar.com Focused on the locations of the designated entities (China, Hong Kong and Pakistan) and on the presence of an Iranian Ministry of Defense representative in Beijing and companies in Iran, Hong Kong and Pakistan, and highlighted that the sanctions come within the Trump administration's effort to isolate Iran economically and press it to negotiate an end to the US-Iran war.
Al-Monitor Led its coverage with the timing of the sanctions after another round of indirect talks between Washington and Tehran on a possible agreement to end the war, and cited Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's warning that those providing material, technological or financial support to Iran will continue to be targeted.
Lebanon Debate Attributed the announcement to the Office of Foreign Assets Control and published specific names including Sayyed Asghar Ali Zadeh Tabatabai, "Kavoshcom Asia" and "EC Mojo Technology", then in a later report mentioned 13 individuals and entities sanctioned by the Treasury and State Departments, including entities in Russia.
العين الإخبارية Quoted Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent saying the department "will not tolerate any support for the regime", and highlighted that the sanctions aim to undermine Tehran's ability to rebuild its weapons programs and raise the cost for supporters, while noting the locations of the designated entities.