Australia slaps fresh sanctions on Iran

Australia on Tuesday announced new financial sanctions and travel bans targeting several Iranian individuals and entities, accusing them of involvement in human rights violations and related activities, News.Az reports, citing foreign media. 

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a statement that the measures apply to seven individuals and four entities linked to Iran’s security and financial networks.

“In January, the Iranian regime massacred thousands of its own citizens and carried out mass arrests of peaceful protesters, torturing detainees, subjecting them to forced confessions and preventing them from communicating with loved ones,” Wong claimed. “The regime limited internet access to stop the world from learning of these atrocities.”

According to the Australian government, some of those sanctioned were involved in enforcing Iran’s mandatory hijab policies, monitoring activists and political opponents, and detaining foreign nationals.

The sanctions also target financial networks allegedly used to support armed groups and Iran’s missile-related activities.

The move was announced alongside additional sanctions imposed by the United Kingdom as part of coordinated action with international partners, according to the statement.

Canberra said the government of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has now imposed more than 230 sanctions on Iranian-linked individuals and entities, including more than 100 connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

There was no immediate response from Iran regarding the latest accusations and sanctions.

News.Az 

By Nijat Babayev