Center for Innovation and Technology Cooperation
Iranian government science office operating a six-entity procurement network across four countries.
Last refreshed: 10 May 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
How did Iran's science office run a four-country arms procurement network without detection?
Timeline for Center for Innovation and Technology Cooperation
Named as the hub of a six-entity procurement network designated across Hong Kong, Shanghai, Belarus and Dubai
Iran Conflict 2026: OFAC sanctions China's biggest SAR satellite firm- What is Iran's Center for Innovation and Technology Cooperation?
- CITC is an Iranian government science office. On 8 May 2026 OFAC designated it as the hub of a six-entity arms-procurement network routing through Hong Kong, Shanghai, Belarus, and Dubai under the IRAN-CON-ARMS-EO executive order.Source: OFAC
- Which companies are linked to Iran's CITC procurement network?
- The CITC network includes Hong Kong Hesin Industry Co Limited, Yushita Shanghai International Trade, Elite Energy FZCO (Dubai), and Armory Alliance LLC (Belarus), plus two designated individuals. All were added to the US SDN list on 8 May 2026.Source: OFAC
- Why did OFAC sanction Iran's science office?
- OFAC designated CITC because it was documented operating an arms-relevant procurement ring using commercial shells across four countries to source dual-use technology for Iranian defence programmes, evading detection by spreading the network across different regulatory jurisdictions.Source: OFAC
Background
Iran's Center for Innovation and Technology Cooperation (CITC) was exposed on 8 May 2026 as the hub of a six-entity procurement network designated under the IRAN-CON-ARMS-EO executive order. The network routes through Hong Kong, Shanghai, Belarus, and Dubai, using commercial shells in each jurisdiction to source dual-use technology for Iranian defence programmes. OFAC designated CITC and five affiliated entities simultaneously, cutting the network off from US dollar rails and exposing any non-US counterparty to secondary-sanctions risk.
CITC is a body within the Iranian government's science and technology administration. Its stated mission is facilitating international scientific cooperation, but the 8 May SDN action documents that it has been operating an arms-relevant procurement ring across multiple jurisdictions. The network includes Hong Kong Hesin Industry Co Limited (registered December 2025), Yushita Shanghai International Trade (Pudong), Elite Energy FZCO (Dubai CommerCity), and Armory Alliance LLC (Belarus), as well as two Iranian individuals, Mohammadmahdi Maleki and a Belarusian national.
CITC's multi-jurisdictional structure reflects a deliberate evasion architecture: each node operates in a different regulatory environment, creating legal complexity for any single country attempting enforcement. Hong Kong and Shanghai provide access to Chinese supply chains; Dubai provides dollar-accessible trade finance; Belarus provides Eastern European logistics. The architecture mirrors the Axis networks exposed in earlier Iran sanctions rounds but extends the geographic spread into jurisdictions that previously carried lower sanctions risk. No Chinese commercial bank appeared in the OFAC diff, confirming that the US-China financial track is being managed via separate NFRA pressure rather than SDN designations.
