A new round of sanctions on Iran was announced by the US on Friday, over supplies of drones to Russia for its war in Ukraine.

“The Iranian regime’s military support to Russia not only fuels the conflict in Ukraine but has also resulted in violations of UN Security Council resolution 2231,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.

“Iran has now become Russia’s top military backer. Iran must cease its support for Russia’s unprovoked war of aggression in Ukraine, and we will continue to use every tool at our disposal to disrupt and delay these transfers and impose costs on actors engaged in this activity”.

The new wave of sanctions target seven individuals in leadership positions with Qods Aviation Industries (QAI), an Iranian defense manufacturer responsible for the design and production of unmanned aerial vehicles and of Iran’s Aerospace Industries Organization (AIO), the main organization responsible for overseeing Iran’s ballistic missile programs.