Rizky Amelia
The Trump administration broadened its economic pressure campaign against Tehran on Tuesday, designating 10 individuals and companies spread across China, Pakistan, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Iran for allegedly helping to supply the Iranian military with weapons and related components.
The US Treasury Department announced the measures in a statement, accusing the targeted representatives and technology firms of engaging in procurement networks that funnel weapons and parts to Iran's armed forces. Three of the sanctioned entities are based inside Iran itself, according to the announcement.
At the center of the action is what Treasury describes as a sustained effort to disrupt the ability of Iran's military establishment to rebuild its weapons programs. The department said the penalties are intended to degrade that capacity while raising the cost for foreign actors who continue to assist Tehran's procurement efforts.
"Today's action further degrades the Iranian regime's ability to reconstitute its weapons programs and increases the costs for those who choose to aid Tehran's military procurement efforts," the Treasury said in its statement.
The designations fall under Operation Economic Outcast, an initiative the Treasury Department has framed as a way to further cut Iran off from global markets. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent unveiled the operation in August, describing it as a means of pressuring Tehran into accepting a deal to end the ongoing war.
President Donald Trump had earlier characterized the campaign in sweeping terms, saying it would bring about "economic warfare and isolation on an unprecedented scale." He also warned that any country engaging in trade with Iran would face what he described as "tremendous" consequences, signaling that Washington intended to pursue secondary pressure on Iran's trading partners.
Among those named on Tuesday were Hong Kong-based EC Mojo Technology Co Ltd and one of its representatives, Li Fen. According to the Treasury, EC Mojo supplied electronic components to the Iranian military, while Li attempted to circumvent both sanctions and export controls. The inclusion of a Hong Kong firm underscores how US officials view the territory as a potential transshipment hub for sensitive technologies bound for Iran.
Also designated was Saudi-based Cavalier Dynamics for Technologies Company. In announcing the move, the Treasury said it would take action "in coordination with Saudi government partners," a notable detail given the sensitivity of targeting entities in a Gulf state that has historically been a US security partner. The coordination language suggests Washington sought to avoid a diplomatic rupture with Riyadh over the designation.
The Treasury alleged that all of those sanctioned on Tuesday were involved in procuring weapons and weapons components for Iran's Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics, or MODAFL. That entity is responsible for weapons research, production and acquisition on behalf of Iran's armed forces, making it a frequent target of US sanctions.
The announcement represents the latest salvo in a broader sanctions architecture that has expanded well beyond Iran's military-industrial base. Operation Economic Outcast has also targeted Iranian economic sectors with no direct connection to the armed forces, reflecting a strategy aimed at squeezing the country's overall economy rather than only its defense procurement channels.
Recent sanctions on Iran's civilian aviation sector have produced visible disruptions. Some Iranian airlines and international carriers abruptly canceled flights to and from Iran, leaving passengers stranded and prompting protests from Tehran. The fallout extended to neighboring Iraq, where several airports initially halted Iranian flights before some services resumed.
Iraq has sought an exemption from the US ban on Iranian flights, and flights between Iran and Iraq's Najaf airport later resumed as Tehran lodged protests over the American restrictions. The back-and-forth illustrates how the sanctions campaign is rippling through the region's transport networks and testing the balancing act of countries that maintain ties with both Washington and Tehran.
The measures announced Tuesday come amid a war that has been raging since February 28, when the United States and Israel launched a series of deadly attacks targeting Iran's leadership and military. The conflict has continued for months, with both sides at various points claiming victory even as fighting persists.
Critics have argued that the war lacks a clear endpoint, and questions have mounted over whether the intensified sanctions will ultimately force Iran to the negotiating table or simply harden its position. Tehran has lived under heavy US sanctions for years, giving it extensive experience in adapting its trade and procurement networks to evade restrictions.
There are also questions about how aggressively Washington is prepared to confront Beijing. China remains one of Iran's largest trading partners, and the Trump administration has faced scrutiny over the intensity of its efforts to deter Chinese participation in the Iranian economy. During an earlier round of sanctions, Bessent defended delays in certain measures by saying, "We're giving everyone the opportunity to remedy bad behaviour. Why would I want to blow up the global financial system?"
The timing of Tuesday's designations is particularly delicate given recent diplomatic developments. Trump recently hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping for his first state visit to the White House in more than a decade, after which the US president touted progress in trade talks between the two countries. Despite that warming, several Chinese firms still appeared on the sanctions list.
The human and economic toll of the campaign is becoming apparent inside Iran. On Tuesday, the Iranian currency fell to a record low amid war-related pressures, a decline that coincided with the new designations. Iranians have been stocking up on food and medicine as fears of renewed fighting grow, according to reporting from the region.
Whether the sanctions will achieve their stated goal of forcing Tehran into a deal remains uncertain. The measures add to a decades-long pile of restrictions that have not yet compelled Iran to abandon its military programs, and experts have questioned how effective yet another round of designations will prove. For now, the administration appears intent on escalating economic pressure while the war grinds on without a negotiated settlement in sight.
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