Foreign secretary announces plans to tackle threat from Iran

UK foreign secretary James Cleverly has announced plans for a new sanction regime "to hold Iran to account for its hostile and destabilising behaviour around the world".

The sanctions will give the UK greater powers to target decision makers in Iran for hostile activities in the UK and around the world.

New sanctions are set to be announced on individuals and organisations responsible for human rights violations in Iran.

According to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Iran has increased its efforts to kill or kidnap individuals perceived to be enemies of the regime outside of Iran, including in the UK. The UK has responded to more than 15 credible threats to kill or kidnap British or UK-based individuals by the Iranian regime since the start of 2022.

The office also reported that the Iranian regime has publicly called for the killing or capture of these individuals and in some cases detained and harassed the individual’s families in Iran.

The expansion to sanctions will create new criteria under which individuals and entities can be sanctioned, including: the Iranian regime’s activities undermining peace, stability and security in the Middle East and internationally; the use and spread of weapons or weapons technologies from Iran; the Iranian regime’s undermining of democracy, respect for the rule of law and good governance; other hostile activities towards the UK and our partners emanating from the Iranian regime, including threats to our people, property, or security.

Foreign secretary James Cleverly said: "The Iranian regime is oppressing its own people, exporting bloodshed in Ukraine and the Middle East, and threatening to kill and kidnap on UK soil.

"Today the UK has sent a clear message to the regime – we will not tolerate this malign behaviour and we will hold you to account.

"Our new sanctions regime will help to ensure there can be no hiding place for those who seek to do us harm."

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