Britain on Monday imposed sanctions on 12 Iran-linked individuals and entities accused of involvement in “hostile activities” targeting the UK and other countries.
The updated sanctions package includes travel bans and asset freezes on nine individuals, two shadow banking exchange houses, and the alleged criminal Zindashti network, according to the UK Foreign Office.
The UK had already sanctioned the network’s alleged leader, Naji Ibrahim Sharifi-Zindashti, in 2024 alongside the United States, identifying him as the head of an international drug and trafficking cartel. The European Union later sanctioned the network, with London, Washington and Brussels accusing it of links to Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security and of carrying out assassination and kidnapping operations against critics of Tehran.
The latest measures come amid a series of attacks against Britain’s Jewish community in recent months and repeated warnings from UK officials about hostile states using proxy groups to carry out operations on British soil.
Among those newly sanctioned is Ekrem Abdulkerym Oztunc, a Turkish national and nephew of Sharifi-Zindashti.
Britain also targeted five members of the Zarringhalam family — Farhad, Fazlolah, Mansour, Nasser and Pouria — accusing them of helping finance efforts to destabilise the UK.
Mansour, Nasser and Fazlolah Zarringhalam were sanctioned by the US last year for alleged involvement in Iran’s shadow banking network. The US Treasury said the three had collectively laundered billions of dollars for Iran through a web of front companies.
The UK also sanctioned Berelian Exchange and GCM Exchange, two Iran-based exchange houses already blacklisted by the US.
The other individuals hit with British travel bans and asset freezes are Iranians Nihat Abdul Kadir Asan and Reza Hamidiravari, along with Azerbaijani national Namiq Salifov.
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