The United States has imposed sanctions on Venezuela’s Empresa Aeronautica Nacional SA (EANSA) for allegedly helping acquire and assemble Iranian-designed drones as tensions rise with both Iran and Venezuela.
The US Treasury said EANSA oversees the assembly of drones from Iran’s Qods Aviation Industries, which is already under US sanctions. The sanctions also target EANSA’s chairman, Jose Jesus Urdaneta Gonzalez, accused of coordinating with Venezuelan and Iranian armed forces on drone production in Venezuela.
A Treasury official said the measures aim to hold Iran and Venezuela accountable for what Washington calls the reckless proliferation of weapons. The sanctions freeze any US-based assets of those targeted and bar most financial transactions with American citizens. The US further alleged that Iran and Venezuela have coordinated drone provisions since 2006, noting Iran’s defence ministry has been under sanctions since 2020.
The Mohajer 10 drone is unveiled by Iran in Tehran on August 22, 2023 [Handout/Iran’s Presidency/WANA via Reuters]
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