The United Kingdom has announced new sanctions against Iran in response to its provision of ballistic missiles and other military equipment to Russia, which are being used in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The sanctions were officially unveiled by Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Monday, coinciding with discussions at the U.N. Security Council.
The U.K. government will freeze the assets of Iran’s national airline and its state-owned shipping company, both of which have been implicated in facilitating the transfer of weapons to Russia. Additionally, the sanctions will target the Russian cargo ship Port Olya-3, identified as having delivered missiles from Iran.
“Iran’s attempts to undermine global security are dangerous and unacceptable,” Lammy stated, emphasizing that the U.K. and its international partners would respond decisively to any transfers of ballistic missiles from Iran to Russia.
This announcement comes just before the 1,000th day of the war in Ukraine and follows a recent authorization by U.S. President Joe Biden allowing Ukraine to utilize American-supplied missiles for strikes deeper into Russian territory. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, speaking at the G20 summit in Brazil, reiterated the need for the U.K. to “double down” on its support for Ukraine for as long as necessary.
The newly imposed asset freezes will hinder Iran Air’s ability to operate direct flights to and from the U.K., while also prohibiting U.K. citizens and businesses from engaging in financial transactions with the sanctioned entities.
These measures build upon previous sanctions announced in September, which were coordinated with Germany and France, aimed at both Iran and Russia in light of their military cooperation.
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