US Treasury Targets Iran's Missile Network, Implicates Indian Company
In a significant move on November 12, 2025, the United States Treasury Department imposed sanctions on a network of 32 entities and individuals connected to Iran's ballistic missile development. Among those targeted was an India-based firm, Farmlane Private Limited, accused of being a critical supplier for the program.
The Supply Chain and India's Proliferation Record
The US Treasury alleged that Farmlane Private Limited was involved in supplying propellant material to Iran. The company reportedly used a front based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to conceal its activities, which directly contributed to advancing Iranian missile capabilities. This incident severely tarnishes India's carefully maintained image of having a clean nonproliferation record.
This is not an isolated case. Washington has previously sanctioned other Indian companies for the illegal transfer of dual-use materials and technologies. The latest action, taken under Executive Order 13382, is specifically designed to counter the spread of weapons of mass destruction. It clearly indicates that proliferation risks are emerging from within India's own commercial and technological ecosystem.
The situation is deeply ironic. While New Delhi frequently politicizes Pakistan's peaceful nuclear program, which operates under full international monitoring, Indian companies are secretly feeding supply chains that support Iran's ballistic ambitions. In contrast, Pakistan's nuclear infrastructure, safeguarded by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), ranks among the most strictly controlled in the world.
A Telling Silence and Global Implications
What makes this episode particularly consequential is the deafening silence from India. Neither the Indian government nor its typically vocal media has offered any substantial explanation for these serious allegations. This silence speaks volumes, revealing a deep-seated hypocrisy that the United States can no longer overlook.
For years, strategic considerations, primarily focused on countering China, led Washington to turn a blind eye to India's questionable nonproliferation history. However, these new sanctions pose a difficult question about the credibility of America's own nonproliferation policy when its strategic partner is allegedly aiding the very threats it seeks to contain.
It is crucial to remember that India remains outside the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and has expanded its weapons program without full-scope safeguards, all while resisting transparency measures. The fact that US sanctions have once again traced proliferation materials back to Indian soil exposes the fragility of its facade.
This episode serves as a critical test: for Washington's consistency in enforcing nonproliferation norms, for India's integrity, and for the international community's willingness to look beyond political convenience. True global stability requires confronting hypocrisy everywhere, even when it hides behind the mask of a strategic partnership.
