The US on Tuesday sanctioned 13 people and entities in Iran, China and Hong Kong in connection with <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/iran/2023/05/25/iran-unveils-ballistic-missile/" target="_blank">Iran's ballistic missile programme</a>, the Treasury Department announced. The Treasury said the network had conducted transactions and enabled the procurement of sensitive technology for key figures in Iran's ballistic missile development programme, including Iran's Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics. The ministry had already been placed under US sanctions. “The United States will continue to target illicit transnational procurement networks that covertly support Iran’s ballistic missile production and other military programmes,” said Brian Nelson, undersecretary of the Treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence. Among those named in the sanctions was Davoud Damghani, Iran's defence attaché in Beijing. The Treasury has accused him of co-ordinating military procurements from China for Iranian end users. Chinese-based company Beijing Shiny Nights Technology Development Co was also sanctioned and accused of being a front company for the Iranian defence ministry. Ghasem Haghighat, the company's director and shareholder, was also sanctioned.
