RFL/RE – Tehran has imposed a round of sanctions on a group of American and British companies and individuals, including British Defense Minister Grant Shapps, over their support for Israel in its war in the Gaza Strip.
In a statement on May 2, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said British officials and entities were sanctioned because of the United Kingdom’s “deliberate support” for Israel, including “committing terrorist acts” that threatened regional peace.
The sanctions also target several military officials, including Simon Cloke, commander of Royal Air Force Akrotiri, a British air base in Cyprus used by RAF fighter jets to target the Iran-aligned Huthi rebels in Yemen.
In a separate tranche of sanctions, the Iran targeted U.S.-based arms manufacturers and senior members of hawkish think tanks for their support of Israel.
Sanction targets include Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics, as well as the energy company Chevron.
Among the individuals sanctioned by Iran is Brad Cooper, who is identified as the commander of the United States Navy’s Fifth Fleet in the Middle East. Cooper turned over command of the Fifth Fleet to George Wikoff on February 1.
The targets of the sanctions will have their bank accounts in Iran frozen and will not be issued visas to enter Iranian territory.
While the impact of these measures remains unclear, they appear to be largely symbolic.
U.S. and U.K. fighter jets targeted Huthi positions several times earlier this year in response to the Yemeni rebels targeting commercial shipping in the Red Sea. The Huthis pledged to continue their attacks unless there was a ceasefire was reached in Gaza.
Israel launched its Gaza offensive in October 2023 in retaliation for a surprise attack on Israeli settlements led by Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union.
Nearly 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed in the Hamas-led attack. The health ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip says more than 34,000 people have been killed in the Israeli offensive.