US sanctions vessels for transporting Iranian missiles to Russia
In response to Iran’s ongoing military support, including the recent delivery of ballistic missiles, to Russia in its ongoing war with Ukraine, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is designating individuals and entities based in Iran and Russia and identifying four vessels as blocked property that are enabling Iran’s delivery of weapons components and weapons systems, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and close-range ballistic missiles (CRBMs), to Russia.
In late 2023, Iran and Russia signed a contract for the supply of hundreds of missiles. In the summer of 2024, Russian military personnel were trained on the use of Iran’s Project 360 CBRMs by Iranian personnel, and as of early September 2024, Russia received the first shipment of these CBRMs from Iran.
On May 8, 2022, the Department of State designated Russia-based TransMorFlot for operating or having operated in the marine sector of the Russian Federation economy. At the time of designation, vessels owned and managed by TransMorFlot transported weapons for the Russian government.
Concurrently, the Department of State identified the Russia-flagged cargo vessel Etim Emin as property in which TransMorFlot has an interest. On June 27, 2022, TransMorFlot changed its name to MG-FLOT.
In July 2022, MG-FLOT renamed Etim Emin to Sapfir. This vessel regularly transits the Caspian Sea, bringing cargo between Iran and Russia. OFAC is updating TransMorFlot and Etim Emin’s entries on the SDN List to include their new primary names, as well as updating other identifying information.
Dzhamaldin Emirmagomedovich Pashaev owns or controls а network of Russian shipping companies that operate in Olya Port, Russia. Pashaev’s enterprises have been involved in Russian military exports since 2021, and have completed over 200 agreements related to the maritime transport of military goods around the world.
Pashaev and his companies have been integral to the ongoing transfer of lethal aid to US-designated Russian Joint Stock Company Special Economic Zone of Industrial Production Alabuga (SEZ Alabuga), which has been one of the primary assembly plants of UAVs for the Russian Ministry of Defence, with support from Iran. Pashaev is the current chairman of the board of МG-FLOT.
The Russian-flagged cargo vessels Boris Kustodiev, Port Olya-3, Port Olya-4, and Kompozitor Rakhmaninov are vessels that are owned and operated by MG-FLOT. These four vessels regularly transit the Caspian Sea, bringing cargo between Iran and Russia. The Treasury Department said the Russian Ministry of Defence used Port Olya-3 to transport CRBMs from Iran to Russia.
Pashaev is being designated for operating or having operated in the defence or related materiel sector of the Russian Federation economy. Boris Kustodiev, Port Olya-3, Port Olya-4, and Kompozitor Rakhmaninov are being identified pursuant to EO 14024 as property in which MG-FLOT, a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to EO 14024, has an interest.
All property and interests in property of the persons above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of US persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, 50 per cent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked.
