The U.S. Department of State imposes sanctions on Chinese company over alleged provision of satellite imagery to Iran
On May 8 local time, the U.S. Department of State imposed sanctions on four entities, including one that allegedly provided satellite imagery to Iran enabling it to launch military strikes against U.S. forces stationed in the Middle East.
The U.S. Department of State stated that providing satellite images of U.S. facilities in the Middle East to Iran threatens the safety of U.S. personnel and those of its partner nations.
The following entities have been placed on the sanctions list by the U.S. Department of State:
MizarVision (Hangzhou) Co., Ltd. (MizarVision), which the U.S. Department of State described as a geospatial intelligence company headquartered in China, previously released open-source imagery detailing U.S. military activities during the "Epic Fury" operation.
The Earth Eye (TEE), which the U.S. Department of State said is a company headquartered in China that provided satellite imagery to Iran during the "Epic Fury" operation.
Changguang Satellite Technology Co., Ltd., described by the U.S. Department of State as a commercial satellite company headquartered in China, which collected satellite imagery of U.S. and allied military facilities during the "Epic Fury" operation to support Iran’s image requests. Previously, Changguang Satellite had also provided satellite imagery to the Houthi rebels—listed on the U.S. sanctions list—for targeting U.S. military assets. The company was previously added to the sanctions list on December 12, 2023.
Iranian Ministry of Defense Export Center (MINDEX), an export agency affiliated with Iran's Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL), which is already under U.S. sanctions.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of the Treasury also added 10 individuals and companies to the sanctions list, alleging their assistance in helping Iran’s military obtain weapons and raw materials for Iran’s "Shahed"-series drones and ballistic missile programs, including one Chinese national and five Chinese companies.
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson previously stated that China has consistently opposed unlawful unilateral sanctions lacking international legal basis, urging the United States to stop its abusive sanctions and "long-arm jurisdiction" practices. China will resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of its own enterprises.
Source: sputniknews
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1864691525588992/
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