On Monday (May 11), the British government announced the implementation of new sanctions against 12 individuals and entities linked to Iran, accusing them of involvement in hostile activities against the UK and other countries, including planning attacks and providing financial services to groups attempting to disrupt British stability.
According to a statement released by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office on Monday, the sanctioned individuals include nine persons, two shadow banking exchange institutions, and the Zindashti criminal network. The UK stated that the Zindashti criminal network has participated in Iran-backed hostile actions, including threats, planning, or carrying out attacks against assets and personnel in the UK and other countries.
The British government had already imposed sanctions on the head of the network, Naji Ibrahim Sharifi-Zindashti, in 2024, describing him as a leader of an international drug trafficking and smuggling crime group.
The latest announcement from the British Foreign Office stated that some individuals were sanctioned for directly engaging in hostile activities, while others were accused of providing financial services or other material support to aid such activities.
The measures listed in the government’s sanctions announcement include asset freezes and travel bans. The Foreign Office stated that these sanctions are intended to respond to Iran’s actions endangering global security and its use of criminal syndicates to carry out threats abroad.
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper stated, “These series of sanctions are directly targeting organizations and individuals that threaten the safety of British streets and Middle Eastern stability. Crime agents supported by certain factions of the Iranian regime, which threaten British and European security, as well as illegal financial networks, will not be tolerated. We are coordinating these actions across Europe.”
The UK indicated that sanctioned financial institutions had provided services to individuals and groups associated with destabilizing activities, allowing networks linked to Iran to circumvent international restrictions, transfer, and acquire funds.
In recent months, there have been a series of attacks targeting the Jewish community in the UK. British counter-terrorism police stated last month that they are investigating these recent attacks to determine if they are linked to Iran. The UK issued warnings that Iran or its proxy organizations may be engaging in hostile activities.
Iran has denied involvement in attacks against the Jewish community.
Due to the frequent occurrence of attack incidents, the UK has raised its national terrorism threat level to “severe,” the second-highest level. Police and ministers have warned of an increased risk of attacks and growing concerns about hostile activities carried out by foreign powers, including Iran.
(This article includes information from Reuters.)