On Thursday, Iran announced the imposition of sanctions on American and British individuals and entities that support Israel in its war against the Gaza Strip, according to a statement from its Foreign Ministry.
The statement clarified that the sanctions target seven Americans, including General Brian P. Fenton, commander of U.S. special operations forces, and Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, a former commander of the U.S. Fifth Fleet. Among the British officials and entities targeted by the sanctions are Defense Minister Grant Shapps, Commander of Strategic Command of the British Army James Hawkenhall, and the Royal Navy in the Red Sea.
Sanctions were also announced against the American companies Lockheed Martin and Chevron, as well as the British companies Elbit Systems, Parker Meggitt, and Rafael UK.
The ministry indicated that the sanctions include "freezing accounts and transactions in the Iranian financial and banking systems and freezing assets under the jurisdiction of the Islamic Republic of Iran, as well as suspending visa issuance and prohibiting entry into Iranian territory."
The war in the Gaza Strip erupted on October 7, when Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel that resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to a count by AFP based on official Israeli data. More than 250 individuals were kidnapped, with 129 still held in Gaza, 34 of whom have died according to Israeli officials.
In response to the attack, Israel pledged to eliminate Hamas and has since carried out a devastating bombing campaign and ground operations in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of 34,596 people, mostly civilians, according to the latest toll from Hamas' health ministry. Iran supports Hamas but denies any direct intervention in the attack.
