Britain Issues New Sanctions Against Iran Amidst Nuclear Program Controversy
Britain, with the support of the European Union, has issued new sanctions against Iran.
The latest sanctions came after a week of turmoil and tense relations between Iran and Britain.
According to CNN, the latest sanctions are “against military purchases, trade and financial transactions carried out by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Crops, which controls [Iran’s] nuclear program.”
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Iranians stormed the British embassy Tuesday in Tehran after Britain issued sanctions against Iran’s nuclear program. Britain closed its Iranian embassy in London and evacuated its staff from Iran on Wednesday, and issued the newest sanctions on Thursday.
“We were all extremely shocked to see what happened in Tehran,” said EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton.
The EU issued the following statement: “The Council considers these actions against the UK as actions against the European Union as a whole. The EU is taking appropriate measures in response.”
The events began Sunday after a report from the International Atomic Energy Agency told of “possible military dimensions of Iran’s nuclear program.” Iran responded by expelling its British ambassador.
The European Union said there were “serious and deepening concerns over the nature of Iran’s nuclear programme, and in particular over the findings on Iranian activities relating to the development of military nuclear technology.”
President Obama issued a statement claiming the sanctions were the “toughest …ever faced by the Iranian government.”
The European Union seeks to bring Iran into a more open community. So far, Iran has responded with hostility.
