The United States has imposed sanctions on 32 individuals and entities accused of supporting Iran’s ballistic missile and drone programs, including two Ukrainian companies allegedly providing key aerospace components to Tehran.
According to a statement from the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the companies: GK Imperativ and Ekofera, acted as fronts for Iranian procurement agents supplying parts to the Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (HESA), a state-owned enterprise responsible for producing drones used by Iran and its regional allies.
HESA is the manufacturer of the Shahed-131 and Shahed-136 loitering munitions, both of which have been used extensively by Russia to strike targets in Ukraine. The company also produces the Ababil-series of uncrewed aerial vehicles, known for their dual reconnaissance and attack capabilities. These drones are used by Iran-backed groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis.
The Treasury said GK Imperativ and Ekofera assisted Iran in acquiring attitude indicators, magnetometers, engines, and other sensitive components vital to drone navigation and stability systems. The companies reportedly operated in cooperation with three Iranian agents: Bahram Tabibi, Batoul Shafiei, and Saeed Pahlavani Nejad, who established a network to facilitate the procurement and shipment of the parts.
Business registry documents list GK Imperativ, founded in 2018 and based in Kharkiv, as a trader in chemicals and construction materials, while Ekofera (or Econsfera), established in 2016, operates in Kharkiv and Kyiv as a consultancy and wholesale intermediary. Attempts by media outlets to reach the firms for comment were unsuccessful.
The sanctions, issued under Executive Order 13382, target entities engaged in the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their supporters. John Hurley, the US undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, urged the global community to “fully implement UN snapback sanctions on Iran to cut off its access to the global financial system.”
The move forms part of a broader effort to counter Tehran’s expanding weapons network, with additional sanctions imposed on entities in the UAE, China, Germany, Hong Kong, India, and Iran. The US said all listed individuals and firms are linked to Iran’s missile and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) development programs.
Iran’s drone production has become a focal point of Western scrutiny, particularly after Russia began domestically producing thousands of Shahed variants, renamed Geran drones, under Iranian license to sustain its assault on Ukraine.
