New Zealand Renews Sanctions on Iran

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New Zealand has announced new sanctions targeting Iranian individuals and entities involved in providing military support to Russia.

The latest sanctions package is designed to address the use of chemical weapons on Ukraine's frontlines but also extends to those implicated in the transfer of arms to Russia for deployment in the conflict, according to the New Zealand Foreign Ministry, The Caspian Post reports, citing Iranian media.

The sanctions target seven individuals and five entities, with six of the individuals being Iranian nationals. These include Ali Jafarabadi, Head of Iran's Space Command within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force (IRGC-ASF), and Hamid Reza Sharifi Tehrani, a member of the Board of Directors of Qods Aviation Industries.

Others named are Mohammad Reza Mohammadi, Mohammad Sadegh Heidari Mousa, and Mohsen Asadi, all members of the Board of Paravar Pars Company. Additionally, Seyed Hamzeh Ghalandari, Director General for International Relations of Iran’s Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL), is also listed.

These sanctions come amid intensified Russian drone offensive in Ukraine, where Iranian-made Shahed suicide drones have caused significant damage to infrastructure and residential areas.