Britain on Monday rolled out a fresh set of sanctions against Iranian officials and a state security body, targeting those it says were responsible for violent crackdowns on recent peaceful protests.
The UK Foreign Office said it had sanctioned 10 individuals along with a state security organisation over serious human rights abuses, including curbs on freedom of expression, restrictions on peaceful assembly and, in some cases, violations of the right to life. The measures include asset freezes, director disqualification sanctions and travel bans.
Foreign secretary Yvette Cooper said the action was a response to the treatment of protesters in Iran.
“The Iranian people have shown extreme courage in the face of brutality and repression in recent weeks simply for exercising their right to peaceful protest,” she said.
“The reports and shocking scenes of violence seen around the world are horrific,” she added.
The Iranian Embassy in London did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
Those sanctioned include senior police commanders, figures linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and members of the judiciary accused of directing violent repression, imposing excessive sentences or overseeing rights-abusing legal proceedings.
The Law Enforcement Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran was designated for its role in policing protests, while the 10 individuals were accused of enabling or directing abuses across Iran’s security and judicial systems.
The UK government said the move follows similar sanctions imposed by the European Union and the United States as part of broader efforts to hold Iranian authorities to account. EU foreign ministers last week added the Revolutionary Guard to the bloc’s list of terrorist organisations.
Diplomatic developments continued alongside the sanctions, with talks between Iran and the United States appearing to edge closer. An Iranian foreign ministry official said Tehran was weighing terms for resuming nuclear negotiations amid a U.S. naval buildup following last month’s deadly protest crackdown.
Iran’s response to mounting international pressure escalated on Sunday, when the speaker of its parliament said Tehran now regarded the armies of EU member states as “terrorist groups” after the bloc designated the Revolutionary Guards as such.
