After U.S.-made components were discovered in Iranian drones launched by Russia into Ukraine, a federal government task force is investigating how they got there, according to sources cited by CNN.
A report released in October by the Institute for Science and International Security said there were parts from Western countries such as the U.S. found in Iranian drones. Another report released last month by Conflict Armament Research said Iranian drones “include many recently manufactured components produced by companies mostly based in the United States.”
“This raises important questions regarding the effectiveness of existing sanction regimes, most notably United Nations (UN) Security Council resolution 2231, which prohibits the transfer of certain goods and equipment to or from Iran,” said that report.
In September, the U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions on Iranian persons involved in production of unmanned aerial vehicles and weapon shipment to Russia. This Wednesday, the Treasury department issued new sanctions against Iranian regime officials related to treatment of protestors there.
CNN also said that the U.S. has “imposed tough export control restrictions and sanctions to prevent Iran from obtaining high-end materials.”
Components found in the Russian drones include some built by the Dallas-based technology company Texas Instruments, said the outlet. This company – and other Western companies that make parts found in the Iranian equipment – have condemned use of their technology for illicit purposes, CNN added.
In a statement, Texas Instruments told the outlet it “is not selling any products into Russia, Belarus or Iran.”
“Apparently unintentional ensnarement,” of the company’s products “in Iran’s drone manufacturing industry underscores how inexpensive products intended for civilian use can be easily retrofitted for military purposes, and often fall just outside the bounds of sanctions and export control regimes,” according to CNN.
Many commodities used in the Iranian drones are off-the-shelf parts for civil aircraft, said the October study, though it said that it is unclear how Iran procured the parts. That study also said that Chinese companies appear to be manufacturing copies of Western commodities.
“American companies should be doing a lot more to track their supply chains,” said Dmitri Alperovitch, the former chief technology officer at the cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, said the outlet.
Since the Russian Federation began an invasion of Ukraine in late February, the U.S. has stood by Ukraine and offered support.
“And we’re going to continue to strengthen Ukraine’s ability to defend itself, particularly air defense. And that’s why we’re going to be providing Ukraine with a Patriot missile battery and training your forces to be able to accurately use it,” said President Joe Biden Wednesday during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
According to officials cited by CNN, an investigation into the U.S. parts in Iranian drones has intensified in recent weeks “amid intelligence obtained by the U.S. that the Kremlin is preparing to open its own factory for drone production inside Russia as part of a deal with Iran.”
Agencies across Washington are involved in the task force. It is part of a larger effort overseen by the White House National Security Council to deal with Iran. CNN said the drone investigation is “particularly urgent.”
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