In response to Iran’s retaliatory attack on Israel, the United States and the United Kingdom have jointly imposed new sanctions on Iran.
At an official meeting of the Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers in Italy on Thursday, UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron announced the imposition of sanctions. Four days earlier, Iran had fired hundreds of missiles and drones into the occupied territories in retaliation for Israel’s attack on the Islamic Republic of Syria’s diplomatic facilities.
The Iranian defence minister, as well as other military personnel and institutions including the IRGC Navy and the Armed Forces General Staff, are the targets of the sanctions, Iranian News Agency Press TV reported.
New Sanctions on Iran
The United Kingdom has imposed 13 sanctions on individuals it deems to be major players in Iran’s missile and drone industries.
According to the Treasury Department, Washington’s sanctions target 16 individuals and two businesses engaged in Iran’s unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) program in addition to parts for the drones used in the attack on Saturday.
The US also targeted an automaker involved in providing “material support” to the IRGC, in addition to five companies that supply parts to Iran’s steel industry, as part of its sanctions targeting the country’s UAV program.
In reaction to Iran’s frontal attack on Israel, the European Union has also pledged to intensify sanctions on Iran, focusing on its drone and missile deliveries to proxies in Gaza, Yemen, and Lebanon.
Amidst escalating tensions in the Middle East, world leaders are urging restraint to prevent further escalation and the outbreak of a regional conflict.