London, August 22 (HS): The United Kingdom on Thursday announced sanctions against Iranian oil trader Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani and four affiliated companies, accusing them of being part of a Tehran-backed network that funds foreign destabilizing operations—allegedly including efforts to undermine security in Ukraine and Israel.
According to the British Foreign Office, the sanctions include an asset freeze and travel ban on Shamkhani, while shipping, petrochemical, and financial firms linked to him face asset freezes.
UK Minister for Middle East Affairs Hamish Falconer stated:
The revenues generated through Iran’s business networks and associated entities enable Tehran to pursue destabilizing activities, support regional proxies and partners, and sustain state-sponsored threats here in the UK.
The Iranian Embassy in London swiftly rejected the measures, condemning them as a “unilateral and unlawful step based on baseless accusations.”
Shamkhani, the son of a senior advisor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, could not be reached for comment. The United States had already sanctioned him last month, alleging he operated a vast global shipping network moving Iranian and Russian oil and other commodities. The European Union blacklisted him in July, citing similar accusations.
The UK noted that the targeted companies operate under Shamkhani’s direction, enabling illicit financial and logistical support for Iran's international operations.
Last month, British lawmakers warned that Iran poses an increasingly complex threat to the UK, spanning physical attacks, plots against dissidents and Jewish communities, espionage operations, cyberattacks, and nuclear weapons development efforts.
Iran has dismissed all allegations as “politically motivated and hostile propaganda.”
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
