The key facts

  • Sanctions were imposed on Mohammed Ali Tolibov (Armoury Alliance), Alisher Domullodzhanov, and the Nigerian Vanguard Tactical Supply
  • Armoury Alliance is accused of acting as an intermediary between Chinese companies and Iran in an attempt to purchase hundreds of MANPADS
  • The measures continue the campaign against Iranian military procurement networks following similar steps in May, June, and July

Who was sanctioned and why

On November 5, the US State Department announced sanctions against two individuals and one company that, according to the American side, helped Iran acquire man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS) — weapons capable of shooting down helicopters and certain types of fighter jets. This was reported by The National.

The roles of those accused

The sanctions targeted Mohammed Ali Tolibov, the general director of the Belarusian arms intermediary Armoury Alliance; Alisher Domullodzhanov, who resides in Russia; and the Nigerian company Vanguard Tactical Supply. According to the State Department, Armoury Alliance acted as an intermediary between Chinese companies and Iran and sought to help procure hundreds of MANPADS. Vanguard Tactical Supply, according to the accusation, helped Iran acquire systems of Chinese origin using fictitious end users, while Domullodzhanov, it is claimed, was involved in arms procurement efforts.

Context of the campaign

Washington described the new measures as part of an ongoing campaign against Iranian military procurement networks: similar sanctions actions were taken in May, June, and July. The publication also refers to its earlier article on the role of MANPADS in the region's conflicts — in particular, the significance of rebels shooting down helicopters in Syria for the situation in Idlib, which illustrates why man-portable systems are regarded as weapons of strategic importance.