"US Moves to Sanction Chinese Company Selling 'Big Brother Equipment' to Iran"

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Yoon-joo] The U.S. government is reportedly considering imposing new sanctions on Chinese security equipment manufacturer Tiandy Technologies, according to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), citing anonymous sources familiar with the matter on the 4th (local time). The reason is that the company supplied facial recognition surveillance cameras and other security equipment to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), aiding the Iranian authorities in suppressing the 'hijab protests.'

WSJ reported that both the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Department of State are reviewing the sanctions. If imposed, the company will be completely cut off from the U.S. financial system, and transactions using the dollar will be significantly restricted.

Tiandy Technologies was already listed on the U.S. Department of Commerce's export control list in December last year. As a result, U.S. companies cannot export parts to Tiandy Technologies without permission.

At that time, the Department of Commerce cited the company's sales of products to the IRGC and suspicions that its products were used in the oppression of the Uyghur minority in China's Xinjiang region as reasons for the blacklist listing.

Tiandy Technologies' surveillance equipment combines closed-circuit cameras with facial recognition and advanced analytics technologies. It is reported that such equipment was sold not only to the IRGC but also to another paramilitary organization, Basij. WSJ reported that both organizations are leading the suppression of the hijab protesters.

Human rights organizations claim that the Iranian police actively use this type of surveillance camera when suppressing hijab protesters. Iranian state television also aired footage showing police identifying, tracking, and arresting protesters through a surveillance camera network.

Since the hijab protests erupted in September last year, exports of Chinese surveillance equipment to Iran have reportedly increased significantly. According to Chinese customs, the export value of 'other video recording and reproduction equipment' to Iran in 2022 was $13.3 million (approximately 16.6 billion KRW), more than double the previous year.

Meanwhile, U.S. authorities are also reportedly investigating whether another security equipment company headquartered in Zhejiang Province, China, 'Uniview,' supplied equipment to Iranian security forces, WSJ reported.