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August 31, 2022

This month’s newsletter features an analysis of the British Royal Navy’s
seizure earlier this year of a weapons shipment headed for Yemen. Evidence
suggests that the seized missile components came from Iran, but a deeper
investigation also points to companies based in several other countries—as
well as weaknesses in national export control systems—that enabled Iran to
acquire the parts in the first place.

The newsletter also features profiles of entities involved in the
production of engines for Iran’s cruise missiles and drones, as well as
news about the ongoing negotiations to restore the Joint Comprehensive Plan
of Action (JCPOA), Russia’s acquisition of Iranian drones, and Russia’s
launch of an Iranian-owned satellite. Documents from the Iran Watch library
include official statements about U.S. strikes against Iran-backed groups
in Syria, Iran’s plot to assassinate former National Security Advisor John
Bolton, and recent U.S. sanctions and sanctions enforcement efforts.

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PUBLICATIONS

[4]

U.K. Royal Marine Commandos secure one of the arms shipments. (Credit:
[5]U.K. Royal Navy)

Enforcement Action | [6]British Navy’s Missile Seizure Implicates More Than
Just Iran

In early 2022, a Royal Navy ship intercepted small boats carrying
sophisticated missile components in international waters south of Iran.
After seizing the weapons and returning them to the United Kingdom for
analysis, the Royal Navy announced that the shipments included engines for
the Iranian “351” land-attack cruise missile and several complete kits for
Iranian “358” surface-to-air missiles. The evidence strongly suggests that
Iran continues to supply weapons to the Houthis in violation of U.N.
Security Council resolution 2216. But a deeper investigation also points to
companies based in several other countries—as well as weaknesses in
national export control systems—that enabled Iran to acquire the components
in the first place.

[7]READ THE ENFORCEMENT ACTION

ENTITIES OF CONCERN

As Iran works to expand its domestic production of cruise missiles and
drones, it has relied on several entities to manufacture the small,
air-breathing engines that power them.

[8]Hossein Pourfarzaneh

An engineer with thirty years’ experience in the aerospace field; employee
of Farzanegan Propulsion Systems Design Bureau; chief designer of Iran’s
first ramjet engine; former managing director of the Aero Engines Design
and Manufacturing Company.

[9]LEARN MORE

[10]Farzanegan Propulsion Systems Design Bureau

An Iranian company that designs and manufactures air-breathing engines,
including jet engines; produces the TJ-HP1 and TJ-HP4 turbojet engines;
designed the country’s first ramjet engine, RJ-HP1, which was displayed to
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in November 2019.

[11]LEARN MORE

[12]Aero Engines Design and Manufacturing Company

An Iranian company that specializes in building air-breathing engines for
airplanes, helicopters, and drones; a subsidiary of the [13]Iran Aviation
Industries Organization (IAIO), a state-owned enterprise; controls
[14]Turbine Engineering Manufacturing (TEM).

[15]LEARN MORE

IN THE NEWS

[16]

A Russian Soyuz rocket launches the “Khayyam” satellite into orbit.
(Credit: [17]Tasnim News Agency)

[18]Iran President: No Way Back to Nuclear Deal of Probe Goes On |
Associated Press

August 29, 2022: In a speech, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said that any
path to restore the 2015 nuclear agreement must see the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) close its probe into uranium traces found at
undeclared sites in the country. In recent weeks, Iran and the United
States have been trading written responses on the details of the roadmap,
with the safeguards issue being one of the key sticking points.

[19]The First Shipment of Iranian Military Drones Arrives in Russia | New
York Times

August 29, 2022: Russian transport aircraft delivered the first installment
of Iranian-made combat drones to Russia in August. The shipment, part of a
larger order totalling hundreds of drones, included Mohajer-6 as well as
Shahed-series models. Although they are considered among Iran's most
capable models, the drones have already faced technical and mechanical
problems, according to U.S. officials. The terms of the deal were unclear,
but an adviser to Iran's government said no money had yet been exchanged
for the equipment.

[20]Russia Launches Iranian Satellite Into Space from Kazakhstan Base | Al
Jazeera

August 9, 2022: A Russian rocket placed a Russian-built but Iranian-owned
remote-sensing satellite called Khayyam into low-earth orbit. The Iranian
Space Agency said the satellite, which has a higher resolution than
Iranian-made satellites, will be used for civilian purposes such as
environmental monitoring. It also said the satellite will be fully under
Iranian control “from day one” and that no other country will have access
to the information it gathers, rebutting earlier reporting that Russia may
first use it for surveillance in Ukraine.

FROM THE LIBRARY

The United States carried out military strikes against Iran-backed targets
in Syria on three consecutive days in August following rocket and drone
attacks on a U.S. base.
* Central Command announced that [21]U.S. military forces had carried out
precision strikes in Deir ez-Zor targeting facilities used by groups
affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) - August
23.
* The White House [22]justified the strikes by pointing to two attacks by
the Iran-backed groups a week earlier - August 23.
* The next day, the Iran-backed fighters launched rockets at U.S. forces
once again, and U.S. forces [23]responded by destroying the vehicles and
equipment used to launch the rockets - August 24.
* On the third day, [24]U.S. forces struck militants with attack
helicopters, gunships, and artillery - August 25.

The U.S. Department of Justice charged a member of the Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) with plotting to kill former National
Security Advisor John Bolton.
* The [25]criminal complaint alleged that Shahram Poursafi, working on
behalf of the IRGC Qods Force, attempted to pay individuals in the United
States $300,000 to carry out the murder - August 10.
* The [26]affidavit describes in detail how Poursafi attempted, without
personally traveling to the United States, to carry out the scheme - August
5.

Several U.S. government agencies announced new sanctions or took action to
enforce existing sanctions and export control laws related to Iran.
* The Departments of [27]State and [28]Treasury sanctioned a [29]network
of companies that had facilitated the sale of tens of millions of
dollars’ worth of Iranian petroleum and petrochemical products from Iran to
East Asia - August 1.
* The [30]Department of Justice requested that Argentina seize a Boeing
747 cargo plane that an Iranian company (Mahan Air) had sold to a
Venezuelan airline (Emtrasur). The Justice Department said the sale
violated U.S. export control laws - August 2.
* The Department of Commerce issued a [31]charging letter against Far
East Cable, alleging that the Chinese company signed contracts to deliver
U.S.-origin equipment to Iran in violation of export controls - August 8.

Iran Watch is a website published by the Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms
Control. The Wisconsin Project is a non-profit, non-partisan organization
that conducts research, advocacy, and public education aimed at inhibiting
strategic trade from contributing to the proliferation of weapons of mass
destruction.

Copyright © 2022 - Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control

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