UK sanctions Iran’s airline and shipping carrier over missile transfer to Russia
Britain says state-owned Iran Air and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines to face asset freeze and restrictions for supplying weapons for war against Ukraine
The United Kingdom imposed sanctions against Iran’s national airline and shipping carrier on Monday, measures it said were taken in response to Iran’s transfer of ballistic missiles and military supplies to Russia.
The state-owned Iran Air and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) will face an asset freeze for its role in supplying weapons to Russia for use on the battlefield against Ukraine, Britain said.
“Iran’s attempts to undermine global security are dangerous and unacceptable,” British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said. “We reiterate our call on Iran to cease its support for Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine.”
The sanctions will further restrict Iran Air’s direct commercial air services to and from the UK.
Britain also sanctioned the Russian Port Olya-3 cargo ship, which delivered the weapons, and said it would not be allowed to enter any UK port.
Iran Air has been designated for sanctions several times over the past year, including measures imposed by the US, UK, Germany France and the European Union. The airline is fully banned from operating at EU airports, and other measures have been taken to restrict the airline’s ability to fly through European airspace.
In September, the United States accused Iran of supplying ballistic missiles to Russia, calling it a “dramatic escalation.”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters that “Russia has now received shipments of these ballistic missiles,” and that the “supply of Iranian missiles enables Russia to use more of its arsenal for targets that are further from the front line.”
“This development and the growing cooperation between Russia and Iran threatens European security and demonstrates how Iran’s destabilizing influence reaches far beyond the Middle East,” Blinken said.
Blinken said Iran has trained dozens of Russian military personnel to use its Fath-360 close-range ballistic missile system, which has a maximum range of 75 miles (121 km).
Iran has previously supplied Shahed drones used by Russia in Ukraine, but has denied providing Russia with ballistic missiles.
The Kremlin hasn’t explicitly rejected the accusation, and has said that Russia was cooperating with Iran including on “the most sensitive” areas.
