Britain on Monday imposed a new round of sanctions on Iranian officials and a state security body, targeting those it said were responsible for violent crackdowns on peaceful protests.
The British Foreign Office said it had sanctioned 10 individuals and the Law Enforcement Forces of the Islamic Republic for what it described as serious human rights violations, including the killing of protesters, torture, sexual violence, and sweeping restrictions on freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
The measures include asset freezes, travel bans and director disqualification sanctions, which prevent those listed from holding senior positions in British companies.
Among those designated was Eskandar Momeni, who oversees Iran’s domestic security apparatus, provincial police chiefs Mohammad Reza Hashemifar and Ahmed Amini, senior IRGC commander Mohammad Zamani, judges Ahmad Darvish Goftar and Mehdi Rasakhi, and the businessman Babak Zanjani.
“The Iranian people have shown extreme courage in the face of brutality and repression over recent weeks simply for exercising their right to peaceful protest,” Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said in a statement. “
The reports and shocking scenes of violence that have been seen around the world are horrific,” she added.
British officials said the action followed similar measures imposed by the European Union and the United States as part of a coordinated effort to hold Iranian authorities accountable.
Last week, EU foreign ministers formally designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization, a move that prompted sharp retaliation from Tehran.
Iranian officials have routinely dismissed Western sanctions as politically motivated and deny responsibility for abuses.
On Sunday, Iran’s parliament speaker said the country would now consider the armies of EU member states “terrorist groups,” escalating an already tense standoff between Iran and Western governments.
The sanctions were announced as signs emerged that diplomatic contacts between Iran and the United States could resume.
An Iranian foreign ministry official said on Monday that Tehran was weighing terms for renewed nuclear talks, even as Washington has increased its naval presence in the region following last month’s deadly protest crackdown.