US Imposes Sanctions on Middle East Entities Linked to Wagner Group in Africa

The United States has imposed new sanctions on entities in Russia, the Central African Republic, and the UAE for their alleged ties to the Wagner Group, a Russian military group. Among the sanctioned entities is Dubai-based Industrial Resources General Trading, which is accused of providing financial support to Wagner's owner, Yevgeny Prigozhin. The US Treasury Department also mentioned the connection between Industrial Resources General Trading and Diamville SAU, a gold and diamond company controlled by Prigozhin. This is not the first time Middle East entities have been sanctioned for their alleged connections to Wagner, with previous sanctions targeting UAE-based Kratol Aviation and individuals involved in helping Wagner acquire drones from Iran. Wagner has a significant presence in the Middle East and North Africa, including Syria, Libya, and Sudan.