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Chinese technology firm, Da-Jiang Innovations Science & Technology Co (DJI), the world’s largest drone manufacturer, is reportedly selling drone technology and parts to Iran, a watchdog group has warned.

United Against A Nuclear Iran (UANI) pointed to a recent Politico investigation that found the company “sent drone parts – like batteries and cameras” to Russia in November and December of 2022, adding that the drones were likely of Iranian origin.

According to evidence gathered by UANI, DJI, which has a large customer base in the United States, has been selling its drone products in Iran, with the watchdog “locat[ing] new evidence suggesting that DJI is also actively engaged in the Iranian market.”

This would contradict claims made by DJI officials in 2022 to UANI, in which they said that “DJI has a strict policy against distributing [its] products to countries targeted by global restrictions including Iran, Cuba, North Korea, Syria, and the Crimea, DNR, and LNR regions.”

They added: “We require all our dealers to adhere to this policy, and we have a robust compliance system that requires them to verify their customers and to expressly commit they are not selling products to those regions.”

UANI shared the evidence with the drone manufacturer, warning that “doing business of any kind in Iran is simply not acceptable.”

The watchdog noted that selling drones and their components to Iran would violate US sanctions on the Islamic Republic.

They pointed out that in July 2022, the IDF intercepted drones manufactured by DJI used by Iranian proxy Hezbollah.

According DJI, it is the largest drone company in the US consumer market and has cornered 70 percent of the market internationally.

UANI's research director Daniel Roth told the Washington Free Beacon that the Biden administration's ineptitude in terms of sanctions enforcement during the last few years has made it possible for firms like DJI to sell their products to Iran.

"China has no reason to fear any consequence for funding and equipping the Iranian regime," Roth said. "For more than two years, Washington has sat on its hands while Beijing sends Iran billions for discounted oil and allows companies to sell the regime surveillance and drone technology."

A DJI spokesperson denied the claim made by the watchdog, telling the Free Beacon: "DJI and its dealers abide by a robust compliance policy which strictly prohibits the sale of our products to sanctioned countries.”

(Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)