US Sanctions Entities Linked to Iran Drone Production
US Sanctions Entities Linked to Iran Drone Production
The Facts
The US today imposed new sanctions on 16 individuals and two entities involved with Iran's drone making, days after it launched a largely unsuccessful attack on Israel.
The US on Thursday imposed new sanctions on 16 individuals and two firms involved with Iran's drone manufacturing, days after it launched an attack on Israel.
The Spin
While Western sanctions are an important step to defanging Iran's dangerous drone manufacturing programs, even more should be done. The US's previous sanctions on Iranian drone makers in 2023 earlier prompted Russia to help Iran in this arena. Tehran's pivot towards Russia is dangerous geopolitically and allows Iran to skirt the consequences of sanctions. Western powers need to build on sanctions and target dismantling Iranian drone capabilities and the nations that enable it.
Iran's bold attack on Israel with over 300 missiles and drones, though ineffective, has posed a challenge for its Western allies to balance support for Israel with restraint. The attack may push them towards increasing and dangerous escalation, potentially triggering further conflict with Israel. The situation remains highly unpredictable and fraught with risks, and Western hegemonic powers have proved unable to dampen the escalation potential.
