PRC Carbon Fiber for Iran Missile Program Targeted

Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed sanctions on six individuals and 12 entities involved in Iran’s efforts to indigenize the production of carbon fiber and related materials for its ballistic missile program.

The designated network supports the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), specifically its Aerospace Force Research and Self Sufficiency Jihad Organization (IRGC ASF RSSJO) and the IRGC Research and Self Sufficiency Jehad Organization (IRGC RSSJO), both previously sanctioned for proliferation activities. These entities are developing domestic carbon fiber manufacturing capabilities essential to intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) production.

Designated parties include Iran-based Advanced Fiber Development Company (AFDCO) and its senior officials, Iranian national Mohammad Rezai and OFAC-designated Hamed Dehghan. Dehghan also controls Pishtazan Kavosh Gostar Boshra LLC (PKGB), which procured missile-applicable components for the IRGC.

OFAC also designated Iran-based Sarmand Sazeh Sazan Soroush for coordinating carbon fiber imports from Chinese company Shanghai Tanchain New Material Technology Co Ltd. Tanchain, along with subsidiaries and executives, including Qin Jinhua, Qin Dehui, and Wang Chao, faces sanctions for facilitating the supply of sensitive materials to Iran.

Additional Chinese entities—Super Sources Industrial Co. (Hong Kong), Reso Trading Shanghai Co. Ltd., Nantong Tanchen, Nantong Yihong, and Shanghai Ninestex—were designated as affiliates of Tanchain. Qingdao Premier Technology Co. Ltd. was also sanctioned for direct shipments of carbon fiber fabric to the IRGC.

Today’s action was taken under Executive Order 13382, which targets proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery.