UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly announced plans for a new sanctions regime to hold Iran to account for its “hostile and destabilising behaviour around the world.” He outlined, in a press release on Thursday, new action in response to Iran’s “threats to the UK and our partners, including a new sanctions regime which will give the UK greater powers to target Iran’s key decision makers.” “Iran has increased its efforts to kill or kidnap individuals perceived to be enemies of the regime outside of Iran, including in the UK, the statement reads. “Since the start of 2022, the UK has responded to more than 15 credible threats to kill or kidnap British or UK-based individuals by the Iranian regime.
“The regime has publicly called for the killing or capture of these individuals and in some cases detained and harassed the individual’s families in Iran.
“The Iranian intelligence services have developed close relationships with organised criminal gangs in UK and across Europe to expand the capability of its networks. The UK will not tolerate such threats,” according to the statement. The announcement comes as the UK drives international condemnation of Iran’s behaviour at the UN this week. Yesterday, the UK co-signed a statement calling out the regime for the significant rise in executions over the last year.
Later today in New York, the UK will lead international opposition to Iran’s weapons proliferation and nuclear escalation at the UN Security Council as part of the UK’s Presidency in July. The UK has handed over extensive evidence to UNSC members demonstrating the Iranian regime continues to send weapons to the Houthis in Yemen and to Russia for use in Ukraine, in violation of UNSC restrictions. The UK and our partners will condemn this malign behaviour in the presence of the Iranian Permanent Representative to the UN, who is anticipated to attend the event.
The Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said, “The Iranian regime is oppressing its own people, exporting bloodshed in Ukraine and the Middle East, and threatening to kill and kidnap on UK soil.” “Today the UK has sent a clear message to the regime – we will not tolerate this malign behaviour and we will hold you to account.
“Our new sanctions regime will help to ensure there can be no hiding place for those who seek to do us harm,” he added.
Source: Kuwait News Agency