The Office of Foreign Assets Control announced the following sanctions action last week.
Iran-related Sanctions
OFAC sanctions global network supporting Iran’s UAV program: On July 31, OFAC designated five entities and one individual across Iran, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and China for procuring technology in support of the Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (HESA). The designations were made pursuant to Executive Order 13382, which targets proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems. The sanctioned parties include:
- Control Afzar Tabriz Co Ltd (Iran) and its CEO Javad Alizadeh Hoshyar
- Clifton Trading Limited (Hong Kong)
- Mecatron Machinery Co Ltd and Joemars Machinery and Electric Industrial Co Ltd (Taiwan)
- Changzhou Joemars Industrial Automation Co Ltd (China)
HESA is a subsidiary of Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL) that manufactures military aircraft and Ababil-series UAVs used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Read more.
OFAC sanctions Iranian shipping empire linked to regime insider: On July 30, OFAC issued its largest Iran-related sanctions package since 2018, targeting over 50 individuals and entities and more than 50 vessels tied to a global shipping network controlled by Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, son of senior Iranian advisor Ali Shamkhani.
The network transports oil and petroleum products from Iran and Russia to buyers worldwide, generating tens of billions in revenue for the Iranian regime. The designations were made under Executive Order 13902, which targets sectors of Iran’s economy supporting malign activities. Concurrently, the Department of State designated 20 entities and identified 10 vessels as blocked property, pursuant to E.O. 13846 and E.O. 13902. Read more.
OFAC issues Iran General License R for safety and environmental transactions: On July 30, OFAC issued Iran General License R, authorizing limited transactions involving certain blocked Iranian-linked vessels, specifically for safety and environmental protection (e.g., emergency repairs, crew health) and offloading cargo loaded before July 30, 2025 (excluding Iran- or Russia-origin goods). Read more.
Corruption and Human Rights Abuse Designations
OFAC sanctions Brazilian Supreme Court Justice for human rights abuses: On July 30, OFAC designated Alexandre de Moraes, a justice of Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court (STF), under Executive Order 13818, which implements the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.
De Moraes is accused of using his judicial authority to authorize arbitrary pre-trial detentions, suppress freedom of expression, and target opposition politicians, newspapers, U.S. social media platforms, and other international companies. This follows the U.S. State Department’s revocation of his visa and those of his immediate family members on July 18, 2025. Read more.
