UK, US sanction leading Iranian military figures after attack on Israel

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - The UK and US have imposed fresh sanctions on top Iranian military officials, including Armed Forces General Staff, the British Foreign Office announced on Thursday.

"In a coordinated package with the US, leading Iranian military figures have been sanctioned in response to Iran’s dangerous direct attack on Israel on 14 April," the British government said in a statement.

It came after Tehran carried out an overnight attack on Israel on Saturday in response to an April 1 strike on its consulate in Syria that killed seven Iranian military officers, including two top-ranking Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps commanders for Syria and Lebanon.

Israel has not formally taken responsibility for the strike but has carried out attacks on Iranian targets across Syria in recent months. The US has denied having any role in it.

"The UK and US have also announced a range of sanctions to tighten the net on key actors within Iran’s unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and missile industries and further limit Iran’s ability to destabilize the region," added the statement.

The sanctions were announced by UK's Foreign Secretary David Cameron during his attendance at the G7 Foreign Ministers meeting in Capri, Italy.

"These sanctions – announced with the US – show we unequivocally condemn this behavior, and they will further limit Iran’s ability to destabilize the region," Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in the statement.

Cameron said: "The MSC Aries and its crew should be released immediately, and Iran should halt its reckless and unlawful behavior. Further escalation is in no one’s interest."

The individuals sanctioned are subject to a travel ban and asset freeze while the entities are subject to an asset freeze, according to the statement.