US sanction two people and an institution for military aid to Tehran

Othe United States imposed sanctions on two people and an entity from Belarus, Russia and Nigeria for helping Iran acquire portable air defense systems capable of launching short-range missiles was announced today.

The U.S. State Department specified in a statement that “these sanctions continue a sustained US campaign against Iran’s military procurement networks” related to these portable air defense systems, known as Manpads.

This time, Washington sanctions target Mohamed Ali Tolibov of the Armory Alliance, based in Belarus, and who, according to Washington, “acted as an intermediary between companies based in China and Iran” and Russian citizen Alisher Domulodzhanov, also for having been “financial and logistical intermediary in international networks” of arms trafficking.

The sanctions are also aimed at Vanguard Tactical Supply Limited, based in Nigeria, and that the U.S. State Department considers it involved in efforts to facilitate the delivery of “Chinese-made” portable defense systems to Iran through fictitious end-users.”.

These measures, the U.S. State Department argued, aim to “close more the channels that Tehran uses to try to rebuild its arsenal, while increasing the risk for intermediaries and suppliers from third countries.”.

The sanctions imposed also aim to “implement the United Nations arms embargo against Iran, re-established in September 2025,” the State Department said.

According to the same source, “these restrictions prohibit the UN Member States from supplying Iran with such weapons”.

Therefore, he added, “the United States will continue to expose the networks that provide weapons to the Iranian armed forces and the Revolutionary Guard and will continue to deprive the [Iranian] regime of the resources that sustain its destabilizing activities.”.

Iran’s efforts to acquire weapons “threaten US national security, and the United States will take all necessary steps to hold the Iranian regime accountable,” reiterated the State Department after announcing this package of sanctions, which imposes measures similar to those already adopted in May, June and July this year.

“ The United States will continue to work with its partners to implement the re-established UN measures and to contain the flow of weapons that threaten US forces and regional security,” he stressed, warning that “anyone who assists the [Iranian] regime in the development of its arsenal should expect to be held accountable.”.