UK imposes sanctions against IRGC Quds Force unit

The British government has imposed new sanctions on three Iranian individuals and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force's Unit 700, which is considered a key channel for arming Iran's regional proxies.

The UK Foreign Office accused the Unit 700 of involvement "in hostile activity by an armed group backed by the Government of Iran, namely through conduct which facilitates (or is intended to facilitate) or gives assistance to the planning or conducting of activity which is intended to cause the destabilization of the United Kingdom or any other country," News.Az reports citing foreign media.

Gal Farsat, a former Quds Force official with significant ties in Iran, Syria, and Lebanon, is said to be running the Unit 700, according to Israel's public broadcaster.

The British sanctions also targeted three Iranian individual for their engagement in "hostile" activities that destabilized Britain, Israel, Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon.

Hamid Fazeli, the former head of Iran's Space Organization and head of Unit 340 of the IRGC's Quds Force, is one of the three individuals sanctioned over his involvement in supporting armed groups intending to destabilize Israel.

Iran International reported in June that Fazeli directs the oversight of rocket launches by Harakat Al-Nujaba (HaN), a strategic and integral arm of the Quds Force, which carries out its military activities under the IRGC's supervision.

The UK also sanctioned Behnam Shahriyari over his alleged involvement in assisting the planning or conducting of activity intended to destabilize Israel, Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon.

Shahriyari was sanctioned by the US Treasury in 2011 for "acting for or on behalf of Liner Transport Kish (LTK), an IRGC-linked shipping company that was designated by Treasury in December 2010 for providing material support, including weapons, to Hezbollah on behalf of the IRGC."

Abdolfatah Ahvazian was also sanctioned by Britain for his involvement in “threatening, planning or conducting activity which is intended to cause the destabilization of the United Kingdom or any other country.”

News.Az