The United States has imposed sanctions on more than 20 companies for helping Pakistan and Iran develop ballistic missiles and drones. The U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) said last week that 26 companies from Pakistan, China, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates were involved in activities deemed contrary to U.S. national security, including export control violations and support for restricted arms programs. announced that it has been blacklisted. And it is trying to circumvent sanctions on Russia and Iran.
BIS, a division of the U.S. Department of Commerce, said “nine Pakistani entities have been added.” [to the ban list] For acting as a front company for the Advanced Engineering Research Institute, which went public in 2014, and seven other companies for contributing to Pakistan’s ballistic missile program. ”
Three UAE companies and one Egyptian company were also blacklisted for allegedly trying to obtain restricted U.S. parts after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Additionally, six Chinese companies were sanctioned for supporting the Chinese military and procuring US technology for Iran’s weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) programs.
Thea D. Rozman Kendler, assistant secretary of commerce for export control at BIS, said the United States will continue to thwart organizations that “seek to evade our controls and endanger our national security.” .
Kendler added: “Plans such as Iran’s weapons of mass destruction program, unmanned aircraft program, and Pakistan’s ballistic missile program pose serious threats to U.S. national security and cannot be supported by U.S. technology.” he added.
BIS Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Enforcement Matthew S. “If we identify parties transshipping goods, we will take action.” Today’s listing also makes clear that foreign parties face consequences if they take delaying or evasive actions with respect to our end-use checks. ”
Other US sanctions
In April 2024, the U.S. State Department took action against four entities involved in the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. These organizations were accused of supplying critical materials and technology to Pakistan’s ballistic missile program, including long-range missile capabilities.
“Three of the targeted companies are based in China and the fourth is based in Belarus,” the State Department said, noting that they provide missile-related items to Pakistan’s programs. .
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry has expressed concern over US sanctions on entities allegedly linked to Pakistan’s ballistic missile program, with Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch saying, “Similar lists have been published previously without any evidence being shared.” has also occurred,” he said. She suggested that Islamabad is open to discussions on transparency to protect legitimate commercial operations from “undue influence of export controls.”
Pakistan’s ballistic missile program is a key element of its national defense strategy, developed in response to regional security challenges and its long-standing rivalry with India. As part of Pakistan’s strategic deterrence and conventional attack capabilities, the country’s missile systems are designed to fire both nuclear and conventional warheads.
To manage the accuracy and safety during operation of these weapons, especially missiles, Pakistan has introduced a state-of-the-art command and control infrastructure. Additionally, specialized security forces operating under the direction of three-star generals are exclusively deployed to protect these strategic assets.
This security framework aims to prevent unauthorized access, protect the country’s defense assets and ensure a quick and effective response in any scenario.
This arsenal consists primarily of short-range and intermediate-range ballistic missiles, with continuously advancing cruise missile capabilities.
Among Pakistan’s short- and medium-range missiles, the Shaheen III has a range of approximately 1,710 miles, while the Ababil has a range of up to 1,400 miles.
Islamabad has consistently emphasized that advances in missile technology are aimed at maintaining a credible deterrent and achieving strategic balance in South Asia.
Dr. Maria Sultan, director of the Islamabad-based South Asia Strategic and Stability Institute University and a leading expert on Pakistan’s defense and security, told The Media Line: Affects development. ”
“Furthermore, if a listed company does business with the United States, it suggests that there was a compliance violation on the U.S. side,” she continued.
Sultan further said, “The United States has not only been the sole facilitator of the arms race in South Asia but also contributed to the development of India’s defense industry since STA-1, and therefore, as the leader of the non-proliferation regime. “I lost my role,” he added. ”
STA-1 (Strategic Trade Authorization-1) is a U.S. designation that allows certain countries access to advanced and sensitive U.S. technology, including dual-use civilian and military products. In 2018, India became the first country in South Asia to receive STA-1 status.
“With US Middle East policy at an impasse, the creation of a false narrative around sanctions against Pakistani and Iranian companies serves to deflect pressure, and the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which has so far been undermined by the US “It reflects an irresponsible and unilateral approach to sanctions against Iran,” the Sultan explained.
The JCPOA is a 2015 agreement between Iran and six countries around the world (the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, China, and Germany) that limits Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.
He added, “The timing and nature of these sanctions appear to be more aimed at placating a domestic audience than truly addressing missile proliferation,” adding, “This strategy ultimately “It hinders the efforts needed to curb missile proliferation.”
Umar Karim, a defense and security researcher at the University of Birmingham, said the recent sanctions highlight the United States’ preference for India as a regional partner given its competitive relationship with China. “The United States and Pakistan are strategically separated, primarily due to different regional perspectives,” he told The Media Line.
Karim argued that Pakistan’s alliance with China and its relationship with organizations such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) are increasing tensions with the United States. “The United States views China as a major competitor. …Given China’s strong alliance with Pakistan, it does not fit well into any U.S. grand strategy.” Rather, the United States views India as a preferred partner. he said.
Karim said the sanctions “must be seen in a broader geopolitical context” as “the United States is demonstrating its dissatisfaction with the close ties between Pakistan and China.” He added that while the sanctions may not disrupt Pakistan’s missile program, they do highlight the “persistent strategic divide” between the two countries. He warned that “unless Pakistan weakens its strategic partnership with China…friction will continue and there is a possibility of further US sanctions targeting Pakistan’s security infrastructure.”
Muhammad Bilal Iftikhar Khan, a Lahore-based international relations and defense analyst, told The Media Line that Pakistan’s missile program is now advanced to the point where frequent sanctions are unlikely to cause a significant setback. “I’m here,” he said. Pakistan’s advances in missile technology are making external pressure “less effective” while the US faces increasing challenges to its “rules-based order” amid global assertiveness from China and Russia He said that this means that.
Pointing to the SCO summit recently held in Islamabad, Khan said the “timing of new US sanctions to coincide with the SCO summit” is a sign of tension between US national interests and the changing geopolitical landscape. He said that there is. He explained that “Pakistan’s nuclear and missile development has historically been driven by conflict with India,” while the United States is strengthening its defense relationship with India and positioning it as a countermeasure against China.
Khan concluded that “Pakistan has never posed a threat to the United States or its allies and has often risked its own security to support U.S. interests.” However, he noted that the US is adjusting its strategy in South Asia as the “increasing strategic importance of India” recalibrates US policy.
