WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) pursuant to the global terrorism Executive Order (E.O.) 13224 and consistent with the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act. OFAC designated the IRGC today for its activities in support of the IRGC-Qods Force (IRGC-QF), which was designated pursuant to E.O. 13224 on October 25, 2007, for providing support to a number of terrorist groups, including Hizballah and Hamas, as well as to the Taliban. The IRGC has provided material support to the IRGC-QF, including by providing training, personnel, and military equipment.
Additionally, today OFAC designated four entities under E.O. 13382, which targets weapons of mass destruction proliferators and their supporters, for their support to the IRGC or Iran’s military.
“The IRGC has played a central role to Iran becoming the world’s foremost state sponsor of terror. Iran’s pursuit of power comes at the cost of regional stability, and Treasury will continue using its authorities to disrupt the IRGC’s destructive activities,” said Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin. “We are designating the IRGC for providing support to the IRGC-QF, the key Iranian entity enabling Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s relentless campaign of brutal violence against his own people, as well as the lethal activities of Hizballah, Hamas, and other terrorist groups. We urge the private sector to recognize that the IRGC permeates much of the Iranian economy, and those who transact with IRGC-controlled companies do so at great risk.”
IRGC
The IRGC was designated today for the activities it undertakes to assist in, sponsor, or provide financial, material, or technological support for, or financial or other services to or in support of, the IRGC-QF. The IRGC, which is the parent organization of the IRGC-QF, was previously designated pursuant to E.O. 13382 on October 25, 2007, in connection with its support to Iran’s ballistic missile and nuclear programs, and pursuant to E.O. 13553 on June 9, 2011 and E.O. 13606 on April 23, 2012, in connection with Iran’s human rights abuses.
The IRGC has provided material support to the IRGC-QF, including by providing training, personnel, and military equipment. The IRGC has trained IRGC-QF personnel in Iran prior to their deployments to Syria, and has deployed at least hundreds of personnel from its conventional ground forces to Syria to support IRGC-QF operations. IRGC personnel in Syria have provided military assistance to the IRGC-QF, and have been assigned to IRGC-QF units on the battlefield, where they provide critical combat support, including serving as snipers and machine gunners.
Additionally, the IRGC has recruited, trained, and facilitated the travel of Afghan and Pakistani nationals to Syria, where those personnel are assigned to, and fight alongside, the IRGC-QF. The IRGC also has worked with the IRGC-QF to transfer military equipment to Syria. The IRGC used both IRGC bases and civilian airports in Iran to transfer military equipment to Iraq and Syria for the IRGC-QF.
Shahid Alamolhoda Industries, Rastafann, and Fanamoj
OFAC also designated today three Iran-based entities pursuant to E.O. 13382 for their activities related to two key elements of Iran's military.
Shahid Alamolhoda Industries (SAI) was designated for being owned or controlled by Iran's Naval Defence Missile Industry Group (SAIG). SAIG, which is involved in the development and production of cruise missiles and is responsible for naval missiles, was designated pursuant to E.O. 13382 on June 16, 2010. SAIG also is sanctioned by the United Nations and the European Union. SAI, a direct subordinate to SAIG, is involved in the development of missile components.
Rastafann Ertebat Engineering Company (Rastafann) was designated for having provided, or attempted to provide, financial, material, technological, or other support for, or goods or services in support of, SAIG and the IRGC. Rastafann has provided radar systems to SAIG and communications equipment to the IRGC.
Fanamoj, the parent company of Rastafann, was designated for having provided, or attempted to provide, financial, material, technological, or other support for, or goods or services in support of, the IRGC. Fanamoj has designed components for the Iranian military's missile systems.
Wuhan Sanjiang Import and Export Co. LTD
Additionally, OFAC designated China-based Wuhan Sanjiang Import and Export Co. LTD (Wuhan Sanjiang) pursuant to E.O. 13382 for proliferation activities related to a key supporter of Iran’s military. Wuhan Sanjiang has provided financial, material, technological, or other support for, or goods or services in support of, Iran’s Shiraz Electronics Industries (SEI).
SEI was designated pursuant to E.O. 13382 on September 19, 2008, for being owned or controlled by Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL). SEI engaged in the production of various electronics equipment for the Iranian military, including radars, microwave electron vacuum tubes, naval electronics, avionics and control systems, training simulators, missile guidance technology, and electronic test equipment.
Since at least 2014, Wuhan Sanjiang has entered into contracts to sell SEI navigation-related gyrocompasses valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars. Wuhan Sanjiang has sold SEI a variety of highly specialized sensors valued at nearly one million dollars, and has taken steps to obfuscate those transactions to avoid detection.
Additionally, in 2011, Wuhan Sanjiang transferred six off-road lumber transporter vehicles to North Korea, which North Korea subsequently converted into Transporter-Erector-Launchers (TELs) for use in its ballistic missile program.
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