US sanctions three companies over Iran-linked arms transfers
The State Department on Sept. 29 sanctioned an Iranian airline and two Russian companies tied to military procurement and arms shipments involving Iran, bringing them under US conventional-arms blocking measures.
WASHINGTON, September 29, 2026 — US sanctions expanded across aviation, aircraft manufacturing and maritime shipping as the State Department targeted three businesses linked to military procurement and arms transfers involving Iran.
The entities were designated under Executive Order 13949, which targets certain persons involved in Iran’s conventional arms activities. The action marked the one-year anniversary of the reimposition of UN sanctions and restrictive measures on Iran and covered conduct the department said violated the renewed measures.
Russia-based aircraft manufacturer Yakovlev develops and produces Yak-130 trainer fighter jets supplied to Iran. The department said Russia had delivered nearly all of a reported 24 aircraft under contract, along with related equipment shipped from a Yakovlev-associated facility in Irkutsk in late 2025.
MG-FLOT, a Russian shipping company formerly known as TransMorFlot, was targeted over weapons transport. Its vessels were involved in moving close-range ballistic missiles from Iran to Russia in 2024. The blocked Russian-flagged vessel Kompozitor Rakhmaninov also carried Iranian air-defense vehicles and related materiel to Russia in late 2025.
The third company, Saha Airlines, is based in Iran and affiliated with the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force. It has been involved in Iranian efforts to transport arms and related materiel. All three businesses had previously been sanctioned under separate executive orders.
Property and interests in property of the companies within the United States or held by US persons are blocked and must be reported to the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control. Entities at least 50% owned by blocked persons are also blocked. Transactions involving their property are generally prohibited for US persons or within or transiting the United States unless authorized or exempt.
Treasury concurrently designated 10 entities and individuals involved in procuring weapons and components for Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics. The State Department’s Rewards for Justice program is also seeking information on financial activities linked to three leaders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force.
Regulatory Actions
Structured data extracted from official sources and validated by sanctions experts