Response to air raid
US and UK sanction Iran’s drone industry
April 18, 2024, 5:14 p.m
Listen to article
This audio version was artificially generated. More info | Send feedback
Washington and London are reacting to the Iranian attack on Israel over the weekend with comprehensive sanctions. According to US President Biden, the punitive measures are primarily aimed at the Shahed drone program and the country’s missile production. But other industries are also affected.
The US and Britain are imposing sweeping new sanctions on Tehran in response to the Iranian airstrike against Israel. As US President Joe Biden and the Treasury Department announced in Washington, the Iranian drone and missile program, the country’s Ministry of Defense and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard are among those affected. With the new measures, “we are holding Iran accountable,” Biden said. The US government had already announced the step.
According to the US Treasury Department, the punitive measures taken by the United States are aimed, among other things, at those involved in the production of Shahed drones. These drones were used in the first direct attack from Iranian territory on Israel over the weekend. In addition, the new sanctions reportedly affect the Iranian metal and automotive industries.
According to the information, those affected include 16 individuals and companies whose technology was used for the drones used in the attack on Israel. According to US information, revenue from the Iranian steel industry amounts to several billion US dollars a year, which is generated primarily from exports.
US President Joe Biden announced that he had discussed the matter with his counterparts from the Group of Seven major Western industrialized nations (G7) the morning after the Iranian attack. “We are determined to act together to increase economic pressure on Iran,” the White House said on Thursday.
“Unanimous” condemnation of Iran’s behavior
Britain is sanctioning six Iranian organizations and seven individuals, including the country’s defense minister and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard fleet, the British Foreign Office said in a statement. The measures included entry bans and asset freezes. The sanctions show “we unanimously condemn this behavior and will further limit Iran’s ability to destabilize the region,” British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said, according to the statement.
Iran attacked Israel with drones and missiles on Sunday night. However, according to Israeli information, almost all of the more than 300 drones and missiles fired by Iran were repelled, with the help of, among others, the USA, Great Britain, France and Jordan.
The European Union had also previously agreed on new sanctions against Iran at its summit in Brussels. However, EU Council President Charles Michel has not yet provided any information about the exact structure of the package of measures.
“Restrictive measures against Iran”
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz previously welcomed the EU’s intention to impose further sanctions against Iran following the major attack on Israel. “This is an important step in pulling the teeth out of the snake,” Katz wrote on X. He thanked “all of our friends for the support and help.” Katz wrote: “Iran must be stopped now before it is too late.”
The conclusions of an EU summit in Brussels on Wednesday evening on the Middle East said: “The European Union will take further restrictive measures against Iran, in particular with regard to drones and missiles.” EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell had already announced work on new sanctions on Tuesday evening after a video conference of the foreign ministers of the EU states.
The EU also called on Israel and Iran to refrain from further attacks on each other. There is great concern that the conflict could spread further if Israel counterattacks harshly. The Iranian attack was triggered by a suspected Israeli attack on the Iranian embassy in the Syrian capital Damascus. At the beginning of the month, two generals from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard were killed.