US and Britain move to impose new sanctions on Iran for Israel attack

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By Michael D. Shear

WASHINGTON — The United States and Britain on Thursday (18) imposed new sanctions on Iranian military leaders and weapons manufacturers to punish Iran for its missile and drone attack on Israel last weekend, even as they implored Israeli officials not to retaliate too strongly and set off a wider war.

White House officials said the sanctions were aimed at disrupting Iran’s ability to produce the unmanned aerial vehicles that its military used to attack Israel by cutting off global financial transactions with companies and individuals involved in building them. The sanctions will also try to block exports by Iran’s steel industry that bring Iran billions of dollars in revenue, they said.

President Joe Biden said in a statement that the sanctions would “further degrade Iran’s military industries”, adding: “Let it be clear to all those who enable or support Iran’s attacks: The United States is committed to Israel’s security.”

In a coordinated move, Britain said it had imposed sanctions on seven people and six entities linked to Iran’s regional military activity and its attack on Israel, which Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called a “reckless act and a dangerous escalation”.

“These sanctions — announced with the US— show we unequivocally condemn this behaviour, and they will further limit Iran’s ability to destabilize the region”, Sunak said in a statement.

Earlier Thursday, the president of the European Council announced that new European Union sanctions would be imposed on Iran’s drone and missile programs in an effort “to isolate Iran”.

The United States and European allies have been looking for ways to punish Iran while urging Israel not to retaliate in a way that could inflame a wider Middle East conflict. But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted that Israel will not let outside pressure determine its response, saying Wednesday (17) that “we will make our own decisions.”

Israel welcomed the announcement of new sanctions, with Foreign Minister Israel Katz thanking Biden “for his ironclad commitment to Israel’s security”.

“This is our opportunity to form a global front and a regional coalition against Iran, together with the US, the EU and moderate Arab states, to stop the serpent’s head that threatens global stability,” Katz wrote on social media. “We must stop Iran now before it’s too late.”

But it is unclear whether the new sanctions will prove more effective at degrading the Iranian military drone program than previous U.S. efforts.

In October, the Biden administration announced similar sanctions on the Iranian drone program, which officials said at the time were aimed at frustrating Iran’s ability to produce just the kind of weapons that it used against Israel in the recent attacks.

In a statement at the time, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said those penalties on several individuals and companies were meant to address “one of the greatest challenges to international peace and security”.

The attack on Israel last weekend suggests that Iran’s military has found ways around the previous sanctions.

In his statement, Biden acknowledged the history of sanctions and vowed to continue increasing the pressure on Iran.

“During my administration, the United States has sanctioned over 600 individuals and entities — including Iran and its proxies, Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Kataib Hezbollah,” he said, listing armed groups that Iran supports in the Middle East. “And we will keep at it.”

As Israel’s war Cabinet continues to weigh a possible response to Iran — whose attack was itself in retaliation for a deadly April 1 strike against an Iranian Embassy building in Syria — Iran has warned it will act harshly against any aggression.

Maj. Gen. Ahmad Haghtalab, the Revolutionary Guard commander in charge of protecting Iran’s nuclear sites, said that if Israel were to hit one of those targets, “the hands are on the trigger” to strike Israeli nuclear facilities in response, according to remarks carried by Iranian state news media.

-New York Times

 

 

 

The post US and Britain move to impose new sanctions on Iran for Israel attack first appeared on Daily Express.

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[[{“value”:” By Michael D. Shear WASHINGTON — The United States and Britain on Thursday (18) imposed new sanctions on Iranian military leaders and weapons manufacturers…

[[{“value”:” By Michael D. Shear WASHINGTON — The United States and Britain on Thursday (18) imposed new sanctions on Iranian military leaders and weapons manufacturers…