ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The United Kingdom and the European Union on Monday slapped fresh sanctions on Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officials for alleged human rights violations
Four commanders were targeted over the “violent repression of protests” in different cities in the country and alongside the IRGC “in its entirety” were issued a travel ban and assets freeze, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly announced.
“The Iranian regime are responsible for the brutal oppression of the Iranian people and for exporting bloodshed around the world. That’s why we have more than 300 sanctions in place on Iran, including on the IRGC in its entirety,” Cleverly said, adding that the sanctions were made in cooperation with the EU and the United States.
The designation of more than 70 Iranian officials and entities amount the total number of Iran-related designations by the UK to more than 300, with those targeted including the prosecutor general and the morality police – the latter of whom was responsible for the death of young Kurdish woman Zhina (Mahsa) Amini in September which triggered massive countrywide protests.
The Iranian regime had been confronting an unprecedented wave of domestic protests following the death of Zhina (Mahsa) Amini in September, but the demonstrations have slowly simmered down in recent months.
“The UK and our international partners are again making clear today that we will not overlook the regime’s brutal oppression. We will continue to take a range of action to hold the regime to account for its actions,” Cleverly stated.
In January, Cleverly warned to take further action and told Tehran that “you will be held to account” following the Islamic republic’s execution of a dual Iranian-British national.
