On May 14, 2025, the United States government announced a new round of sanctions targeting six individuals and 12 companies primarily based in China and Hong Kong for their involvement in supporting Iran’s ballistic missile programme.
The sanctions are part of the ongoing U.S. “maximum pressure” campaign aimed at curbing Iran’s missile development and destabilising activities in the Middle East.
The sanctioned entities and individuals are accused of aiding Iran’s efforts to domestically manufacture carbon fibre, a critical material used in ballistic missile production.
They have supplied carbon fiber, precursor materials, and manufacturing equipment to various sub-organizations of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including the U.S.-designated IRGC Aerospace Force Research and Self Sufficiency Jihad Organization and IRGC Research and Self Sufficiency Jehad Organization.
Among those sanctioned are three Chinese nationals-Qin Jinhua, Qin Dehui, and Wang Chao-linked to a China-based firm exporting carbon fiber precursor materials to Iranian entities, as well as a Hong Kong-based company, Super Sources Industrial, and its owner Wang Chao.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce explained that Iran remained heavily dependent on China for economic and technical support that facilitates its malign activities in the Middle East.
She stated, “This is another example of how the CCP and China-based companies provide key economic and technical support to Iran and its proxies, driving regional instability and threatening U.S. partners and allies.”
The sanctions were imposed under Executive Order 13382, which targets proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and their supporters.
They align with National Security Presidential Memorandum-2, a policy initiated during the Trump administration to apply maximum pressure on Iran’s ballistic missile program by disrupting the resources available to the IRGC and its affiliated terrorist proxies.
The U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent highlighted that Iran’s attempts to develop intercontinental ballistic missiles pose an unacceptable threat to U.S. national security and regional stability.
The sanctions underscore Washington’s commitment to using all available tools, including targeting third-country entities, to expose and disrupt Iran’s procurement networks.
In response to the sanctions, the Hong Kong government reaffirmed its commitment to enforcing United Nations Security Council sanctions on Iran but criticised the U.S. for unilateral measures beyond UN mandates.
Hong Kong officials stated that they did not implement restrictions imposed solely by other countries outside of UN requirements.
