The U.S. imposed sanctions on a network supplying weapons to Iran
The U.S. has imposed sanctions on 10 individuals and organizations accused of assisting the Iranian Ministry of Defense in procuring weapons and components. The list includes, in particular, individuals and companies from China, Hong Kong, and Pakistan. Officials in Washington stated that the goal is to prevent Tehran from resuming its military programs and to raise the cost for those who help it circumvent restrictions.
The U.S. has imposed new sanctions against 10 individuals and organizations that U.S. authorities link to the procurement of weapons for Iran. The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced this on September 29, 2026. According to the department, the sanctions target members of a network that helped the Iranian Ministry of Defense purchase weapons and necessary components. Among them are entities and individuals linked to China, Hong Kong, and Pakistan.
Washington stated that the new sanctions are part of a broader campaign called “Operation Economic Outcast,” which the administration of President Donald Trump is using to increase economic pressure on Iran. U.S. authorities are attempting to limit Tehran’s ability to obtain funds, technology, equipment, and other resources necessary for its military programs. The new sanctions specifically target those whom the U.S. assesses as helping Iran procure weapons abroad.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that Washington will continue to target companies and individuals who support the Iranian regime. “As part of Operation Economic Outcast, the Treasury Department will continue to identify and block those who provide material, technological, or financial support that enables the Iranian regime to sustain its terrorist activities,” Bessent said.
According to him, the U.S. has no intention of easing this pressure. “The Treasury Department will not tolerate any support for the regime and will continue to identify, expose, and isolate those who aid Iran,” the minister added. The U.S. Treasury Department explained that the main goal of the new restrictions is to make it more difficult for Iran to rebuild its military capabilities.
This goes beyond weapons alone. Military programs require electronics, components, technologies, and other equipment. Purchases of this type often go through intermediaries in various countries. It is precisely these international connections that Washington is trying to cut off with sanctions.
This is not the first such move by the U.S. this year. In May, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on 10 individuals and companies linked to supplying Iran’s military programs, including the production of Shahed-series drones and ballistic missiles. In June, nine more members of a network that helped Iran purchase weapons were sanctioned.
In July, the U.S. also announced sanctions against an international network that helped the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps procure weapons and transport people and materials through other countries. In September, Washington continued this campaign. Previously, sanctions had already targeted airlines, financial institutions, and other companies that, according to U.S. authorities, helped Iran circumvent restrictions or supported its military programs.
The current sanctions were imposed against the backdrop of the war between the U.S. and Iran, which has been ongoing since February 2026. At the same time, Washington is exerting economic and diplomatic pressure on Tehran, seeking changes in its policies and negotiations to end the war. At the same time, the negotiation process remains uncertain. On the same day, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he had not offered Iran any easing of sanctions or access to frozen funds in exchange for concessions regarding its nuclear program.
In this situation, the U.S. continues to act on two fronts simultaneously—exerting military and diplomatic pressure on Iran while attempting to cut off the channels through which Tehran can obtain the equipment necessary for its military program. The new sanctions target 10 individuals and organizations, but U.S. authorities have made it clear that the campaign will not end there. Washington plans to continue identifying foreign companies and intermediaries that help Iran purchase weapons, military components, or circumvent U.S. restrictions.
In this way, the U.S. has intensified sanctions pressure specifically on Iran’s weapons supply chains. Washington’s goal is to make it more difficult for Tehran to resume its military programs and to make assistance to Iran from foreign companies and intermediaries riskier and more expensive. This was reported by Reuters.
Iran has threatened to attack energy infrastructure in the Middle East if its security is not guaranteed. Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, told state television on September 29 that if Tehran cannot sell oil, other countries in the region will not be able to do so either.
