New Delhi, April 18
The US and Britain on Thursday imposed sanctions and new export control measures on Iranian military figures in response to Iran’s retaliatory missile and drone attack on Israel last Sunday.
Editorial: Iran-israel conflict
“The sanctions target leaders and entities connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iran’s Defence Ministry, and the Iranian government’s missile and drone programme that enabled this brazen assault,” said US President Joe Biden in a statement. He also indicated that the US-UK duo would ask rest of the G7 bloc to increase economic pressure on Tehran. The sanctions will include asset freezes and travel bans on Iran’s Defence Minister and other military figures and organisations, including the Armed Forces General Staff and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy. A US Treasury Department statement said its measures targeted 16 individuals and two entities enabling Iran’s UAV production, including engines that power Iran’s Shahed variant UAVs, which were used in the April 13 attack. Also designated were five companies providing component materials for steel production to Iran’s Khuzestan Steel Company (KSC) and three subsidiaries of Iranian automaker Bahman Group.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak put the number of sanctioned at 13, mainly key actors within Iran’s drone and missile industries. Tehran says it carried out the April 13 attack in retaliation for an Israeli strike that flattened its consulate in Damascus, killing at least 13, including six local Syrians.
Join Whatsapp Channel of The Tribune for latest updates.