LONDON: The UK government on Monday imposed sanctions on several senior Iranian military leaders following Iran’s October 1 ballistic missile strike on Israel. The targeted individuals include the commander-in-chief of Iran’s army, Abdolrahim Mousavi, and air force head Hamid Vahedi, who are now subject to a travel ban and asset freeze.
The missile attack was launched by Iran in retaliation for the deaths of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli operation in Lebanon, while Haniyeh died in a bombing in Tehran, which Iran has blamed on Israel.
This was the second time in 2024 that Iran directly attacked Israel, following a missile and drone assault in April.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy, speaking from Luxembourg where he was meeting EU foreign ministers, condemned Iran’s actions and its support for militant proxies in the Middle East.
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He emphasized that Iran had ignored repeated warnings about the consequences of its “dangerous actions” and vowed that the sanctions were a measure to hold Tehran accountable.
“Alongside our allies, we will continue to take necessary steps to confront Iran’s unacceptable threats and push for de-escalation in the region,” Lammy said.
Meanwhile, the UK government has also imposed an asset freeze on Iran’s space agency and other companies linked to its missile technology, which the British government argues could be used for the development of ballistic and cruise missiles.
Last week, the US government imposed restrictions on dozens of companies in Iran’s oil and petrochemicals sectors, to cut off funding of what it said was the country’s “destabilizing activity”.
