Washington (Agencies): The United States has blacklisted over 26 companies from Pakistan, China, Egypt, and the UAE for their alleged involvement in weapons and drone development programs in Pakistan and Iran. The U.S. Commerce Department announced these sanctions, citing violations of export controls and attempts to evade U.S. sanctions on Russia and Iran.
The blacklisted entities include nine Pakistani companies accused of acting as front companies for the Advanced Engineering Research Organization, which has allegedly been involved in procuring U.S.-origin items for Pakistan’s cruise missile and drone programs. Six Chinese entities were also added to the list for aiding China’s military modernization and supporting Iran’s weapons and drone programs. Additionally, three entities in the UAE and one in Egypt were blacklisted for attempting to acquire U.S. components to bypass sanctions following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
These measures underscore the U.S. government’s commitment to enforcing export controls and preventing the proliferation of weapons and drone technology to sanctioned countries.