US, UK sanction IRGC Quds Force-linked Iranians over Palestine support

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
14 Dec 2023 23:45

The UK says the introduction of the new sanctions regime was prompted by what it termed "unprecedented threats" from Tehran.

Britain's Foreign Secretary David Cameron leaves Downing Street on November 13, 2023. (AP)

The UK declared the implementation of a new sanctions framework targeting Iran as it announced measures against seven individuals, including the Commander of Iran's IRGC Quds Force, Brigadier General Esmail Qaani, accused of either "posing a threat to or planning the destabilization of Israel."

The British government claimed that the introduction of the new sanctions regime, affording it enhanced authority to counter Iran and its decision-makers, was prompted by what it termed "unprecedented threats" from Tehran, both to the stability in the Middle East and to alleged plots to harm individuals in Britain.

"The behavior of the Iranian regime poses an unacceptable threat to the UK and our partners," Foreign Minister David Cameron stated.

"It continues to threaten people on UK soil and uses its influence to destabilize the Middle East through its support to armed groups, including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ)," he added.

Those affected by travel restrictions and asset freezes under the newly imposed sanctions include Commander Qaani. The newly imposed sanctions also target Mohammed Saeed Izadi, the head of IRGC-QF's Palestine branch, along with three other members: Ali Marshad Shirazi, Majid Zaree, and Mostafa Majid Khani. The entire Palestine branch is subject to asset freezes. Additionally, representatives of Hamas and PIJ in Iran, Khaled Qaddoumi and Nasser Abu Sharif, respectively, face travel bans and asset freezes.

Although London has accused Iran of supporting Yemeni Armed forces' operations in the Red Sea, British Chief of Defence Staff Tony Radakin has stated that Britain does not believe Tehran desires a war in the Middle East.

"We assess Iran doesn’t want a direct war ... But Iran is comfortable with the way events have unfolded, the dilemmas for Israel, the threat posed by Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthis, militia groups exploiting this crisis to challenge America’s role in the region," Radakin said during a speech on Wednesday.

In the same context, the United States imposed sanctions on Majid Zaree, a Quds Force official, according to a statement from the Treasury Department. The sanctions include freezing his US assets and prohibiting Americans from engaging in transactions with him. Those who violate these restrictions may face sanctions as well.

“The United States continues to coordinate with our partners, including the United Kingdom, to tackle terrorist financing and threats from Iran," Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said in the statement.

Iran: US, UK, Canada complicit in Gaza genocide

After the US, Canada, and the UK proposed to impose sanctions on multiple Iranian nationals across the world, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani pointed out, on December 10, that the trio must be held responsible for their complicity in the genocide by "Israel" on Gaza.

"Countries that have a black track record of colonial history and systematic abuse of human rights,… with such biased and sham measures, are seeking to divert the world’s public opinion from their anti-human rights actions and their full cooperation with the inhumane crimes of the child-killing Zionist regime," he stated.

He continued to call out their "double-standard" approach, which has done "grave injustice" to the values of human rights that they claim to represent.

The three accomplices, according to Kanaani, are "not whatsoever" in a position to judge and comment on the human rights in other nations.

"The governments of the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada, given their historic and continuous support to the Israeli regime and their publicly political, military, intelligence and media support for the regime’s war crimes in Gaza over the past two months, should be held to account as accomplices in the crimes."