US imposes further sanctions on Iran after Israel attacks

WASHINGTON: The United States on Thursday imposed further sanctions on Iran targeting its unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) industry following its drone attack on Israel.

The sanctions will reportedly target several businesses associated with a network of drone companies. The US claims the aim of these measures is to curtail Iran’s capacity to conduct drone attacks.

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Iran launched drone and missile attack on Israel on April 13 in retaliation for an earlier attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria. The Islamic Republic holds Israel responsible for the attack, a charge the latter has neither denied nor accepted.

Iran’s attack on Israel raised concerns in the Western world about further escalation in the already volatile Middle East region.

Meanwhile, Israel responded with missile strikes targeting Iran on April 18. Several international news outlets reported that explosions were heard in Isfahan. The city is home to several Iranian nuclear facilities, including its uranium enrichment sites.

Iran began developing UAVs in the mid-1980s, initially focusing on reconnaissance models like the Ababil-1 and Mohajer-1 during the Iran–Iraq War.

The Islamic Republic ramped up its drones production following several losses in naval conflicts. The country’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force operates Iran’s growing arsenal of UAVs.

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In recent years, Iran has unveiled new long-range attack drones and faced sanctions targeting its weapons programmes.

According to industry experts, Iranian drones face several issues including reliance on outdated parts and limited self-defense capabilities. Despite that, Iranian suicide drones “HESA Shahed 136” has been used in international conflicts in recent years. The suicide drones have been used in Yemen Civil War, and by the Russian military against Ukrainian targets in the Russo-Ukrainian War.