The UK on Thursday joined the
United States and Canada in announcing a fresh set of sanctions against Iran’s
drone and missile industries after its recent attack on Israel.
Tehran
launched its first direct military assault on Israeli territory nearly two
weeks after an April 1 air strike — widely blamed on Israel — that killed seven
members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Damascus.
Iran’s
large-scale attack involved more than 300 drones and missiles, most of which
were shot down by Israel and its allies including Washington and London,
causing little damage.
The
United States and Britain announced widespread sanctions on Iran last week,
targeting individuals and companies involved in the Iranian drone industry.
The Foreign Commonwealth and
Development Office said the latest sanctions would target two individuals and
four companies closely involved in Iran’s network of drone production.
Trade
sanctions against Iran would also be expanded by introducing new bans on the
export of components used in its produce of drones and missiles, it added.
“The
Iranian regime’s dangerous attack on Israel risked thousands of civilian
casualties and wider escalation in the region,” Foreign Secretary David Cameron
said in a statement.
“Alongside
our partners, we will continue to tighten the net on Iran’s ability to develop
and export these deadly weapons.”
The UK already has over 400
sanctions imposed on Iran, including designations against the Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps in its entirety and many of those responsible for the
attack on Israel.
– ‘Facilitating
and financing’ –
The
US Treasury Department also targeted Iran’s military drone program on Thursday,
sanctioning more than a dozen individuals, companies and ships it said played a
key role in “facilitating and financing” clandestine sales of unmanned aerial
vehicles (UAVs) to the country’s defence ministry.
“Iran’s
Ministry of Defence continues to destabilise the region and world with its
support to Russia’s war in Ukraine, unprecedented attack on Israel, and
proliferation of UAVs and other dangerous military hardware to terrorist
proxies,” US Treasury said.
“The
United States, in close coordination with our British and Canadian partners,
will continue to use all means available to combat those who would finance
Iran’s destabilising activities.”
Canada on Thursday also
sanctioned Iran’s defense minister and a senior commander.
Thursday’s
joint sanctions come a week after Washington targeted 16 people and two
companies involved in Iran’s UAV programme, as well as components for the
drones used in the attack against Israel.
The
UK government separately targeted seven individuals and six companies for
enabling Iran to continue its “destabilising regional activity, including its
direct attack on Israel.”
The
US also targeted five companies providing parts for Iran’s steel industry, and
an automaker involved in providing “material support” to Iran’s Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The European Union imposed its own set of sanctions on Iran on Wednesday.