The United States on March 21 imposed new sanctions on four companies and three people in Iran and Turkey in connection with the Iranian production of drones used by Russia in the war in Ukraine.

Sanctions were imposed on the participation of companies and individuals in the purchase of equipment, including European-made engines for unmanned aerial vehicles, to support Iranian programs to develop UAVs and weapons.

Who is sanctioned

The US Treasury Department said in a statement that this procurement network operates on behalf of the Iranian Ministry of Defense and Logistics, which controls several firms involved in the development of UAVs and ballistic missiles.

Among those blacklisted are Iran's Defense Technology and Research Center (DTSRC), its purchasing firm Farazan Industrial Engineering and two other firms along with their purchasing agents.

“Iran's well-documented proliferation of UAVs and conventional weapons to its puppets continues to undermine both regional security and global stability,” said Undersecretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson.

He stressed that the United States will continue to expose foreign procurement networks in any jurisdiction that supports Iran's military-industrial complex.

Rating of countries sympathetic to Russia

The British magazine The Economist published the so-called index of Putin's friends. The index looks at 11 different support measures or enforcement potential in three broad areas. The first is military. The second is diplomatic. The third block of questions concerns energy and the economy.

The journalists noted that on paper, Russia's geopolitical influence can be astounding. After all, his troops and mercenaries are in at least 16 countries of the world. It should also be noted that the aggressor country is supported with weapons. In the past decade alone, it has entered into agreements to import arms from 22 countries around the world. Particularly China and India.

Rating “friends” of Russia

1. Belarus;
2. Armenia;
3. Kyrgyzstan;
4. Iran;
5. Tajikistan;
6. Kazakhstan;
7. Syria;
8. China;
9. Venezuela;
10. Nicaragua;
11. India;
12. Uzbekistan.