By Syed Khalique Ahmed
NEW DELHI—Iran has imposed sanctions on several US and UK companies and individuals, accusing them of being “involved in terrorism and serious human rights violations in supporting Israel’s barbaric acts against the Palestinians, in particular, the people of the Gaza Strip.”
The Iranian sanctions come after the US and the UK imposed fresh sanctions on the Islamic Republic of Iran that responded to the Israeli attack on Iran’s consulate in Syria resulting into the martyrdom of 13 Iranians, including seven military commanders.
About 40,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, have been killed since Israel began genocide in Palestinian territories on the pretext of responding to October 7 attack by Hamas fighters who are battling to seek liberation of Palestine from Israeli occupation. Israel’s attack on the Gaza Strip has yet not stopped.
A statement issued by Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs that was circulated to journalists and media houses all over the globe said that the sanctions were imposed in conformity with the 2017 Iran’s “Law of Countering the Violation of Human Rights and Adventurous and Terrorist Activities of the United States in the Region.”
Under Articles 4 and 5 of the 2017 Iranian law,, Iran has imposed sanctions on individuals and institutions for their alleged “support and financing” of Israel’s alleged “terrorist acts” and its “glorification” against “the Palestinian people, and in particular, the people of Gaza Strip.”
The US entities that have been placed under sanctions “for supporting and complicity in Israeli regime’s heinous acts against the Palestinian people” are the Lockheed Martin Corporation due to its “involvement in supplying weaponry to Israeli regime”, the General Dynamics due to “supplying 155 mm bullets to Israeli regime”, the Skydio Engineering Company for “providing drones to Israeli regime” and the Chevron Corporation for “assisting Israeli regime in exploitation of Gas wells in the eastern Mediterranean” whose “revenue is used by the Israeli government to launch offensive against the Palestinians”, and the Kharon Company. The statement said that Kharon Company allegedly “played a role in imposition of sanctions on Hamas by the US Department of Treasury and helped in cutting off Hamas and Islamic Jihad’s access to the network for transfer of crypto-currency under pretext of money laundering.”
The US individuals placed under sanctions by Iran for “supporting terrorism and complicity in heinous acts” against the Palestinians include: Jason Greenblatt, vice-president and chief legal officer to Donald Trump and to Trump Organisation and his advisor on Israel, Michael Rubin, a senior fellow at the American Enterprises Institute, Jason Brodsky, the policy director of United Against Nuclear Iran(UANI), Clifford D. May, founder president of FDD, Bryan P. Fenton, a US army general serving as the 13th commander of the United States Special Operations Command, Brad Cooper, commander of the US Naval Forces, Central Command/Fifth Fleet, and Gregory J Hayes, CEO of RTX Corporation.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran, in conformity with its human rights obligations and obligations in combating terrorism and countering terrorism financing, in particular, terrorism perpetrated by the United States, imposes the sanctions on the said persons and institutions.” the statement said.
Iran also imposed sanctions on individuals and entities of the UK for their alleged “deliberate support and facilitation of Israeli regime’s actions, including committing terrorist acts against regional and international peace and security, systematic violation of human rights, war-mongering, use of heavy weaponry, and prohibited weapons against civilians, displacement of Palestinian people, expansion of illegal settlements in occupied territory and continuation of occupation.”
The UK entities put under sanction include RAF Akrotiri Royal Air Force in Cyprus, UK Royal Navy in Red Sea HMC Diamond, Elbit System Company, Parker Meggitt Company and UK Rafael Company.
The individuals in UK brought under sanctions include Grant Shapps, Secretary of State for Defense of the United Kingdom, James Hockenhull, Commander of the British Army Strategic Command, Sharon Nesmith, Deputy Chief of the General Staff, Paul Raymond Griffiths, Assistant chief of the General Staff, Adrian Bird, Director of Defense Intelligence of British Army, Richard Kemp, Commander of UK Royal Navy in Red Sea HMC Richmond, Simon Cloke, Commander of RAF Akrotiri Royal Air Force and Peter Ivans, and Commander of UK Royal navy in Red Sea HMC Diamond.
The Islamic Republic of Iran also condemned “the act of the UK regime for supporting, facilitating and refraining from countering the destructive acts of aforementioned individuals and entities which is violation of international obligations of the UK regime regarding combating terrorism.”
