New UK sanctions target organisations and individuals\u00a0who\u00a0threaten\u00a0international and UK security.\u00a0
\n Action\u00a0demonstrates\u00a0UK\u00a0commitment to\u00a0countering\u00a0Iranian\u00a0threats to\u00a0UK national security, regional\u00a0stability,\u00a0and\u00a0the global economy.\u00a0
\n Sanctions will\u00a0deter\u00a0attacks against dissidents overseas and\u00a0disrupt illicit\u00a0revenue generation for the\u00a0Iranian\u00a0regime.<\/p>\n
Organisations and individuals enabling\u00a0hostile\u00a0Iranian\u00a0activity\u00a0are\u00a0amongst those\u00a0being targeted under new sanctions announced by the\u00a0Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper,\u00a0today (11 May). The measures come\u00a0in response to Iranian\u00a0action against\u00a0global\u00a0security\u00a0and its use of criminal gangs to carry out threats\u00a0overseas.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The\u00a0measures\u00a0target\u00a0illicit finance flows which enable the Iranian regime to pursue\u00a0destabilising action\u00a0across the Middle East,\u00a0including their blockade of the Strait of Hormuz \u2013 contravening international law and disrupting the global economy \u2013 and military strikes against\u00a0regional and Gulf\u00a0allies.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Today\u2019s\u00a0sanctions\u00a0also\u00a0target\u00a0criminal proxies who act on behalf of the Iranian state to threaten the\u00a0US and\u00a0Europe\u00a0by\u00a0preventing\u00a0criminal gangs\u00a0from travelling to the UK or accessing assets which\u00a0finance\u00a0their illegal activity.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper\u00a0said:\u00a0<\/p>\n
This package of sanctions directly targets\u00a0organisations and individuals\u00a0who threaten security on UK streets\u00a0and stability in the Middle East.\u00a0Criminal proxies backed by parts of the Iranian regime who\u00a0threaten security in the UK and Europe will not be tolerated, nor will illicit\u00a0finance networks. We are coordinating\u00a0these actions across Europe.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We continue to\u00a0press for\u00a0a negotiated settlement\u00a0and\u00a0a long-term diplomatic solution in the Middle East, which urgently restores freedom of navigation to the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0package\u00a0of sanctions\u00a0is aligned with action taken by\u00a0the EU\u00a0and\u00a0builds on\u00a0recent\u00a0action\u00a0by\u00a0the UK government to hold the Iranian regime accountable for\u00a0hostile\u00a0activity, including threats to\u00a0national security.\u00a0<\/p>\n
More\u00a0broadly, the Prime Minister has made clear that we need stronger powers to tackle threats\u00a0posed by states like Iran, which is why\u00a0we will fast-track\u00a0Home Office state-threats\u00a0legislation.\u00a0On 28 April, the Minister for the Middle East\u00a0summoned\u202fthe Iranian Ambassador<\/a>\u202ffor the third time this year.\u00a0The government has censured\u202fthe\u202fIranian embassy\u2019s unacceptable and inflammatory comments on social media and made clear that any attempts to cause violence or inflame tensions in our communities will not be\u00a0tolerated.\u00a0<\/p>\n The UK also\u00a0sanctioned 10 individuals and one organisation in February<\/a>\u00a0for their brutal\u00a0response to\u00a0Iranian protestors\u00a0in January and in\u00a0previous\u00a0protests.\u00a0<\/p>\n The UK already has imposed more than 550 sanctions on Iranian individuals and organisations, including the entirety of the\u00a0Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps i and over 90 sanctions in\u00a0response to\u00a0Human Rights violations.\u00a0<\/p>\n These sanctions form part of\u00a0a\u00a0UK\u00a0day of action against\u00a0destabilising\u00a0activity by Iran and Russia.\u00a0Earlier today,\u00a0the UK announced sanctions\u00a0against Russia\u2019s<\/a>\u00a0hostile and heinous\u00a0attempts\u00a0to undermine democracy and destroy Ukraine\u2019s future.\u00a0<\/p>\n Background:<\/p>\n The following\u00a0entities\u00a0are\u00a0today sanctioned by the UK government and\u00a0are\u00a0subject to an asset freeze and director disqualification:\u00a0<\/p>\n Berelian\u00a0Exchange\u00a0 The following individuals are today sanctioned by the UK government and are subject to a travel ban, asset\u00a0freeze\u00a0and director disqualification:\u00a0<\/p>\n Mansour\u00a0Zarringhalam\u00a0 The following individuals are also today sanctioned by the UK government and are subject to an asset freeze and director disqualification:\u00a0<\/p>\n Fazlolah\u00a0Zarringhalam\u00a0
\n GCM\u00a0Exchange\u00a0
\n The\u202fZindashti\u202fNetwork\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n Nasser\u00a0Zarringhalam\u00a0
\n Ekrem\u202fAbdulkerym\u202fOztunc\u00a0
\n Nihat\u202fAbdul\u202fKadir\u202fAsan\u00a0
\n Reza\u202fHamidiravari\u00a0
\n Namiq\u202fSalifov\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n Pouria\u00a0Zarringhalam\u00a0
\n Farhad\u00a0Zarringhalam\u00a0<\/p>\n