Info:
Qods Aeronautics Industries is identified as an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) entity;
An affiliate of Aerospace Industries Organization (AIO);
Produces unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), parachutes, para-gliders, para-motors and other items, which the IRGC has claimed to use as part of its asymmetric warfare doctrine;
Reportedly developed the Tallash I (Endeavor), the Tallash II Hadaf 3000 (Target 3000), Saeqeh I (“Lightning Bolt”) and II, Mohajer II, Mohajer III (Dorna), and the Mohajer IV (Hodhod) UAVs;
Qods Aeronautics Industries is an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) entity. The Qods (Jerusalem) Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is responsible for extraterritorial operations. In March 1998 it was reportedly joined under the Aviation Industries Organization (Aeronautics Industries Organization) on the order of the Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL);
Fan Pardazan Company and Ertebat Gostar Novin are front Company of Qods Aeronautics Industries;
Mohsen Parsajam has been involved in defense contracts, valued at tens of millions of dollars, between Rayan Roshd and its Iranian customers, including the Qods Aeronautics Industries;
According to the U.S. Treasury Department:
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is designating six executives and board members of U.S. designated Qods Aviation Industries (QAI), a key Iranian defense manufacturer responsible for the design and production of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Iran has transferred these UAVs for use in Russia’s unprovoked war of aggression in Ukraine. OFAC is also updating QAI’s entry on the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (SDN List) to include its new alias, Light Airplanes Design and Manufacturing Industries. Finally, OFAC is designating the director of Iran’s Aerospace Industries Organization (AIO), the key organization responsible for overseeing Iran’s ballistic missile programs.
QAI, which is involved in the production of UAVs and is overseen by Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL), was designated pursuant to E.O. 13382 on December 12, 2013. MODAFL and the U.S.-designated Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) contract with QAI for aviation and air defense-related projects, most notably the design and manufacture of the Mohajer-6 UAVs that have been transferred to Russia for use in its unprovoked war of aggression in Ukraine. As a result of its role producing UAVs supplied to Russia, QAI was also designated pursuant to E.O. 14024, “Blocking Property With Respect To Specified Harmful Foreign Activities of the Government of the Russian Federation,” on November 15, 2022.
As of mid-2020, QAI has operated under its new alias, Light Airplanes Design and Manufacturing Industries. As QAI and its affiliated individuals and entities continue to engage in sanctions evasion such as procurement of sensitive UAV parts and technology and proliferation of these UAVs, OFAC is updating QAI’s entry on the SDN List to add Light Airplanes Design and Manufacturing Industries as an alias used by QAI.
QAI Executives
Seyed Hojatollah Ghoreishi (Ghoreishi) serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of QAI. As the head of the Supply, Research, and Industry Affairs section of MODAFL, and Deputy Minister of Defense, he has led Iran’s military research and development efforts and was responsible for negotiating Iran’s agreement with Russia for the supply of Iranian UAVs for Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Ghoreishi is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13382 for acting or purporting to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, both MODAFL and QAI.
Ghassem Damavandian (Damavandian) is the Managing Director of QAI and a member of the firm’s board. In his role as Managing Director, Damavandian has likely facilitated QAI’s supply of UAVs to Iranian military services in addition to training Russian personnel on the use of QAI-manufactured UAVs.
Damavandian is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13382 for acting or purporting to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, QAI.
Hamidreza Sharifi-Tehrani (Sharifi-Tehrani) has served as a primary member of the Board of Directors of QAI. He has traveled for international conferences related to UAVs and has undoubtedly been involved in the supply of UAVs and related equipment to Iranian military services. Reza Khaki (Khaki), Majid Reza Niyazi-Angili (Niyazi-Angili), and Vali Arlanizadeh (Arlanizadeh) have also served as members of the Board of Directors for QAI.
Sharifi-Tehrani, Khaki, Niyazi-Angili, and Arlanizadeh are all being designated pursuant to E.O. 13382 for acting or purporting to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, QAI.
Also Known As:
Qods Aviation Industries
Qoods Aviation Industries
Qhods Aviation Industries
Qods Aviation Industry
Qods Air Industries
QAI
Light Aircraft Design and Construction Industries
Quds Air Industries
Involved In:
Military Weapon Program
Established:
1985
Country:
Iran
Address:
4 Km Karaj Road, Tehran, Iran
5 kilometers into the Karaj Makhsous Road, Tehran, Iran
P.O. Box 13445-873, Tehran, Iran
Phone:
98-21-4503306 , 98-21-450330
E-Mail:
mohajer@isiran.com
mohajer@iriran.com
Web-Site:
isiran.com
Person of interests:
Reza Amidi
Reason for the color:
» Added to the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list maintained by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on January 6, 2023;
» Added on Consolidated List of Financial Sanctions Targets in the UK;
» Identified as an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) entity in an annex to U.N. Security Council resolution 1747 of March 24, 2007; with some exceptions, the U.N. designation requires states to freeze the financial assets on their territories which are owned or controlled by the entity, by its agents, or by entities it controls, and to ensure that funds, financial assets or economic resources are prevented from being made available to it;
» Listed by the European Union on March 23, 2012 as an entity linked to Iran’s proliferation-sensitive nuclear activities or Iran’s development of nuclear weapon delivery systems; with some exceptions, European Union member states must freeze all funds and economic resources owned, held or controlled by the listed entity, and prevent funds or economic resources from being made available to it;
» Added to the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list maintained by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on December 12, 2013, freezing its assets under U.S. jurisdiction and prohibiting transactions with U.S. parties, pursuant to Executive Order 13382, which targets proliferators of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their delivery systems;
» Iran dissidents warn of regime’s use of drones to ‘destabilize’ region, using materials from China;
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