Iran has imposed sanctions on numerous individuals and entities in the European Union and United Kingdom, in retaliation to their recent imposition of sanctions against Tehran.
In a statement by Iran’s Foreign Ministry yesterday, the country announced sanctions on 17 individuals and 4 entities based in the EU and UK for allegedly supporting terrorist groups, referring to opposition organisations and groups supporting the widespread anti-government protests that took place throughout Iran over the past seven months.
“The tit-for-tat sanctions are imposed against some EU and UK individuals and legal entities for providing support for terrorism and terrorist groups, instigating and encouraging acts of terrorism and violence against the Iranian people, interference in Iran’s internal affairs and spreading violence and unrest across the country”, the Foreign Ministry statement said.
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The sanctioned targets include lan Mendoza, the Executive Director of the Henry Jackson Foundation UK; Admiral Benjamin John Key, a Commander in the British Navy; Oliver Westmacott, President of AEGIS; Michelle Russel, head of the Security Industry Authority (SIA) and eight European lawmakers, mostly from France and Germany. The German-Israeli Society was also targeted by the sanctions.
Accusing those individuals and entities of spreading lies and misinformation about Iran, particularly regarding the nationwide protests against the death of 22-year-old woman, Mahsa Amini, back in September, the Ministry stressed that they played a part in the subsequent numerous sanctions against Tehran which it labelled “economic terrorism”.
The Ministry further condemned the EU and UK for supporting and facilitating those individuals and entities, stating that they failed to counter their actions which amount to “a breach of the international commitments in the field of fighting against terrorism”.
Montather Rassoul