UK imposes sanctions on Iran over alleged supply of drones to Russia

Oct. 20 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The United Kingdom announced this Thursday new sanctions against Iran, following the decision of the European Union, which has imposed restrictions against five people and three Iranian entities involved in the alleged supply of kamikaze drones to Russia, used in attacks against civilians in Ukraine.

“Iran’s support for Putin’s brutal and illegal war against Ukraine is deplorable. Today we are sanctioning those who have supplied the drones used by Russia to attack civilians. It is clear evidence of Iran’s destabilizing role in global security,” he said. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said, adding that these “cowardly attacks” are “an act of desperation”.

In this sense, Tehran “actively” promotes the war, according to a British government statement, since it benefits from Russia’s “abominable attacks” against the Ukrainian population, while, like Moscow, fails to comply with a Security Council resolution of the UN that controls the transfer of arms.

The sanctions affect General Hosein Bagheri of the Armed Forces, who supervised the branches of the Army that supplied drones to Russia, as well as Brigadier General Seyed Hojjatolá Qureishi, a key Iranian negotiator for the supply agreement for these devices.

Also included in the list is Brigadier General Saed Aghajani, head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, who was in Russia’s temporarily controlled territories in Ukraine advising Russian forces on how they use drones.

Finally, the United Kingdom has sanctioned the company Shahed Aviation Industries, the Iranian manufacturer of the Shahed drones that “have been used by Russia during its illegal invasion of Ukraine” and that is also on the EU’s ‘black list’, by Just like Hossein Bagheri.

The sanctions have been approved this Thursday after a negotiation in record time after the foreign ministers agreed on retaliation on Monday if the involvement of Iran in the drone attacks was confirmed. The agreement has come before starting the summit of heads of state and government of the EU in Brussels.

In this way, the EU raises the tone against Iran and approves the second round of sanctions in just a few days, after formally adopting measures on Monday against 15 Iranian individuals and entities responsible for the repression of the demonstrations for the death in police custody of the young Mahsa Amini, including the head of the Morale Police, Mohamed Rostami.

The EU has approved this Thursday sanctions against five people and three Iranian entities for the supply of kamikaze drones to Russia, used in attacks against civilians in Ukraine, although two people and two other entities are already subject to European punitive measures for the repression in Iran .