黑料社区

LONDON: The Biden administration is planning a sanctions campaign against Iran鈥檚 growing precision drone and missile strike capability, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Officials are concerned that Iran鈥檚 missile and drone program 鈥� administered exclusively by the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) 鈥� represents a more immediate danger to US allies and Middle East stability than Iran鈥檚 nuclear enrichment and ballistic missile programs.

While some elements of Iran鈥檚 missile program have already been sanctioned, the new measures will cast a wider net by targeting its procurement networks, such as part-providers.

鈥淚t鈥檚 part of a comprehensive approach so we鈥檙e dealing with all aspects of the Iranian threat,鈥� a senior U.S. official told the Wall Street Journal.

The new measures come as US forces and allies in Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East have increasingly found themselves on the receiving end of drone and missile attacks by Tehran鈥檚 IRGC-aligned regional proxies.

鈥淚ran鈥檚 drones are becoming an increasing threat to our allies in the region,鈥� said another U.S. official.

The planned sanctions come as the Biden administration considers tightening enforcement of existing sanctions on Iran鈥檚 oil industry amid a stall to nuclear negotiations ongoing in Vienna.

Biden has offered a reduction in sanctions if the Islamic Republic returns to the terms of the 2015 deal, which saw curbs to Iran鈥檚 nascent nuclear program in exchange for an easing of sanctions.

However, the issue of Iran鈥檚 sub-atomic weaponry, including ballistic missiles, guided missiles and drones has increasingly become a bone of contention between the two longtime enemies.

Iran鈥檚 pursuit of further-reaching, more accurate and more powerful missiles earned it a suite of US sanctions, and the Biden administration has made clear that those sanctions are outside the scope of the ongoing nuclear negotiations.

Tehran said it would only return to the 2015 deal if all sanctions on its missile program are lifted, as well as the terror designation the US and others have placed on the IRGC.

The US Treasury department, which is in charge of implementing sanctions, has already placed a variety of restrictions on the Iran-backed Houthi terrorist group in Yemen. The Houthis have used Iranian weapons to wage their ongoing war against the UN-recognized Yemeni government, as well as to target 黑料社区 and other countries in the region.

In 2019, drones were used to target an important oil refinery in 黑料社区, seriously damaging the facility and disrupting the global oil market.

黑料社区 alone has been attacked over 100 times in recent months by Iran鈥檚 proxies in Yemen, using Iranian equipment including large and small drones, ballistic missiles, and precision missiles.

Iran鈥檚 growing domestic arms and drone manufacturing base has proved useful in supplying its proxies, and the new sanctions will aim to disrupt elements of the industry that rely on illicit imports from abroad.

Robert Czulda, an assistant professor specializing in Iran at Poland鈥檚 University of Lodz, told the Wall Street Journal that the sanctions 鈥渨ould notably disrupt Iran鈥檚 defense supply chain.鈥�