Britain to widen Iran sanctions powers over "credible threats"

Britain is preparing to widen sanctions against Iran over what calls “credible threats” by the regime to kill or kidnap people in the UK.

Ministers are seeking new powers to sanction Iranians accused of hostile actions, undermining democracy, distributing weapons, or obstructing Middle East peace, The National reports.

The UK on July 6 sanctioned another 13 Iranian officials under existing laws, which allow for penalties on certain grounds such as human rights abuses or ties to the war in Ukraine.

But a bill to expand the list of criteria is expected to be put before the UK Parliament before the end of the year in what Britain’s Foreign Secretary James Cleverly called a message that “malign behaviour” would not be tolerated.

Mr. Cleverly said on Thursday he would prefer never to use the "new and enhanced" powers.

"But the decision on whether I do so, or whether I do not, is firmly in the hands of the Iranian regime itself," he said.

He told the House of Commons that the Iranian regime "has dramatically increased its attempts to silence dissent".

"While our police, intelligence and security agencies have been confronting these threats for many years, their seriousness and intensity has increased in recent months," he said.

"There is clear evidence that the Iranian regime continues to prepare operations against individuals in Europe and beyond."

The Foreign Office said there were more than 15 “credible threats to kill or kidnap British or UK-based individuals by the Iranian regime” since the start of 2022.

In one case, the TV channel Iran International was forced to leave its London offices after counter-terrorism police were alerted to threats against personnel.

The UK government fears Iran’s intelligence services have formed ties to organised criminal gangs to expand their reach in the UK and Europe.

The new criteria would lead to people being sanctioned if they are linked to Iran’s “activities undermining peace, stability and security in the Middle East and internationally” or the “use and spread of weapons or weapons technologies” from the country.

People could also be sanctioned if they are found to be connected to the regime's “undermining of democracy, respect for the rule of law and good governance” or other “hostile activities towards the UK and our partners emanating from the Iranian regime, including threats to our people, property or security”.

The 13 new sanctions listings include officials from Iran's prison system and an online surveillance unit of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Also sanctioned is the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution which sets morality rules in Iran.

The opposition Labour Party said it supported the new measures.

The UK plans to use its presidency of the UN Security Council, which it has taken up for the month of July, to lead global condemnation of what it calls Iran’s weapons proliferation.

Britain says it has handed “extensive evidence” to council members of Iran’s military assistance to the Houthi rebels in Yemen and to Russia for the war in Ukraine.