Sanctions

Overview

Sanctions are a form of economic or political pressure that a government or international organisation can impose on a target country, group, or individual. They are intended to change the behaviour of the target, restrict access to resources or markets, or signal disapproval of certain actions. In the case of Iran, the United States, European Union, Canada, and the United Kingdom have all imposed sanctions on Iran for various reasons, including concerns about its nuclear program, human rights violations, and support for terrorism. These sanctions may involve restrictions on financial transactions, travel bans, asset freezes, and other measures designed to limit the target’s ability to operate or access resources.

In the European Union, discussions and resolutions have been introduced to address the designation of the IRGC as a terrorist organisation. The European Parliament passed a resolution in 2023 condemning the IRGC’s involvement in terrorism and human rights violations, urging member states to consider designating it as a terrorist entity. While formal designation within the EU has not been achieved, these discussions and resolutions demonstrate a commitment to addressing the challenges posed by the IRGC and indicate the need for coordinated EU-wide action and increased scrutiny of the IRGC’s activities.

Canada has taken significant steps in the campaign to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organisation. Canada designated the IRGC’s Quds Force—not the entire IRGC—as a terrorist organization in 2012. In 2018, the Canadian House of Commons passed a motion condemning the  and calling on the government to designate it as a terrorist organisation. This reflects Canada’s determination to counter the IRGC’s activities and support the objectives of the campaign, emphasising the commitment to address the multifaceted threats posed by the IRGC.

In the United Kingdom, discussions and debates have taken place regarding the designation of the IRGC as a terrorist organisation. Members of Parliament and human rights activists have raised concerns about the IRGC’s destabilising activities and called for its formal classification as a terrorist entity. While formal resolutions have not been passed, the ongoing dialogue acknowledges the recognition of the IRGC’s threat and the importance of addressing its activities within the UK.

Overall, the progress and resolutions in the EU, Canada, and the UK regarding the campaign to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organisation indicate an increasing awareness and concern about its role in supporting extremism and posing threats to regional and global security. These discussions and resolutions highlight the commitment of these countries to address the challenges posed by the IRGC’s activities and to support international efforts in promoting stability, peace, and security. Sustained dialogue, collaboration, and advocacy will play a crucial role in countering the IRGC’s influence and safeguarding global peace and security.

EU Sanctions History

Individuals: 

  1. Mohammed Gachi Cheshmeh Rostami – Head Of Iran’s Morality Police
  2. Hossein Rahimi – Head Of Iran’s Law Enforcement Forces (LEF) In Tehran
  3. Abbas Abdi –  Head Of Iran’s Law Enforcement Forces (LEF) In Divandarreh
  4. Ahmad Mirzaei – Head Of Iran’s Morality Police In Tehran
  5. Issa Zarepour – Minister Of Information And Communications Technology
  6. Mohammad-Hossein Sepehr – Commander Of The Iranian Central Training Base Of The General Staff Of The Armed Forces
  7. Sayd Ali Safari – Head Of Iran’s Law Enforcement Forces (LEF) In Saqqez
  8. Seyed Alireza Adyani – Head Of The Ideological-Political Office Of Iran’s Law Enforcement Forces (LEF)
  9. Ali Azadi – Head Of Iran’s Law Enforcement Forces (Lef) In Kurdistan
  10. Mohammed Zaman Shalikar – Head Of Iran’s Law Enforcement Forces (LEF) In Babol, Mazandaran
  11. Salman Heidari – Head Of Iran’s Law Enforcement Forces (LEF) In Bukan

Entities:

  1. Iran’s Morality Police
  2. Basij Resistance Force (Basij)
  3. Cyber Defence Command of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (CDC)
  4. Law Enforcement Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran (LEF)

Source

Individuals: 

  1. Mohammad Hossein Bagheri – Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces
  2. Sayed Hojatollah Qureishi – Head of the Supply, Research, and Industrial Affairs Division at the Iranian Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL)
  3. Saeed Aghajani – Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps – Aerospace Force (IRGC ASF) UAV Command

Entities:

  1. Shahed Aviation Industries a.k.a. Shahed Aviation Industries Research Centre

Source

Individuals:

  1. Ahmad Vahidi –  Minister of Interior
  2. Salar Abnoush – Deputy Commander of the Basij Resistance Force
  3. Qasem Rezaei – Deputy Commander of the Law Enforcement Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran (LEF)
  4. Manouchehr Amanollahi – Commander of the Law Enforcement Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran (LEF) in the province of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari
  5. Kiyumars Heidar – Commander of the Iranian Army Ground Forces
  6. Vahid Mohammad NaserI Majid – Head of the Iranian Cyber Police
  7. Hossein Nejat – Deputy Commander of Sarallah (a.k.a. Tharullah, Thar-Allah, Tharallah, Tharallollah)
  8. Hossein Maroufi – Deputy Head of Mobilisation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) in the Sistan and Baluchestan province
  9. Parviz Absalan – Deputy Head of the IRGC in Sistan and Baluchestan province
  10. Ahmad Shafahi – Commander and public relations officer of the IRGC in Sistan and Baluchestan province
  11. Ebrahim Kochzaei – Head of Iran’s Law Enforcement Forces (LEF) in the city of Chabahar in Sistan and Baluchestan province
  12. Ahmad Taheri – Head of Iran’s Law Enforcement Forces (LEF) in Sistan and Baluchestan province
  13. Seyed Sadegh Hosseini – Head of the IRGC in Kurdistan province
  14. Sereng Hossein RAJABPOUR – Commander of the Beit al-Maqdis force (IRGC in Kurdistan) in the city of Sanandaj
  15. Gholamhossein Mohammadi ASL – Head of the IRGC in Ardabil province
  16. Shakar Abdi – Deputy head of the IRGC in Ardabil province
  17. Hasan Hassanzadeh – Head of the IRGC in Tehran province
  18. Morteza Mir Aghaei – Head of the Basij in the city of Sanandaj
  19. Abbas-Ali Mohammadian – Head of Iran’s Law Enforcement Forces (LEF) in Alborz (Karaj) province
  20. Rahim Jahanbakhsh – Head of Iran’s Law Enforcement Forces (LEF) in West Azerbaijan province
  21. Hassan Sheikhnejad – Head of Iran’s Law Enforcement Forces (LEF) in Urumeh (a. k.a. Ouroumieh), the capital of West Azerbaijan province
  22. Mahmoud Saadati – Head of Iran’s Law Enforcement Forces (LEF) in the city of Zahedan in Sistan and Baluchestan province
  23. Morteza Mirzai – Head of Iran’s Law Enforcement Forces (LEF) in Mazandaran province.
  24. Azizullah Maliki –  Head of Iran’s Law Enforcement Forces (LEF) in Gilan province
  25. Ali-Reza Moradi – Head of Iran’s Law Enforcement Forces (LEF) in the city of Sanandaj
  26. Enayatollah Rafiei – Commander of the squad that arrested Mahsa Amini
  27. Ali Khoshnamvand – Member of the squad that arrested Mahsa Amini
  28. Fatemeh Ghorban-Hosseini – Member of the squad that arrested Mahsa Amini
  29. Parastou Safari – Member of the squad that arrested Mahsa Amini

Entities:

  1. The Basij Cooperative Foundation (a. k.a. Bonyad-eh Ta’avon-eh Basij)
  2. Press TV
  3. Arvan Cloud (a.k.a. Abr Arvan; Noyan Abr Arvan Co.; Arwan Company; Arvancloud)

Source

Individuals:

  1. Peyman Jebelli – Director of Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB)
  2. Ali Rezvani – the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) reporter and news anchor/presenter on political and security affairs
  3. Ameneh Sadat Zabihpour – Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) reporter and head of the foreign Persian-language media group at IRIB
  4. Seyyed Ahmad Khatami – Friday-prayer imam, member of the Assembly of Experts for the Leadership
  5. Seyyed Majid Mirahmadi – Deputy Minister of Interior of Iran
  6. Sayyed Abdolrahim Mousavi – Commander-in-chief of the Iranian Army
  7. Mohsen Bormahani – Deputy Director of Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB)
  8. Morteza Jokar – deputy head of Iran’s Law Enforcement Forces (LEF) in Sistan and Baluchestan province
  9. Majid SOURI – Deputy Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Lorestan province
  10. Mohsen Karimi – Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Markazi province
  11. Alireza Heydarnia – Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Alborz province
  12. Amanollah GARSHASBI – Deputy commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Sistan and Baluchestan province
  13. Bahman Reyhani – Deputy commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in the West of Iran, responsible for Kermanshah province
  14. Habib Shahsavari: Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Shohada provincial corps in West Azerbaijan province
  15. Mohammad Abdollahpour – Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds provincial corps in Gilan province
  16. Siavash Moslemi – Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Karbala provincial corps in Mazandaran province
  17. Ahmad Zulqadr – Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Seyyed al-Shohada provincial corps in Tehran province
  18. Morteza Kashkouli – Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Hazrat Abulfazl provincial corps in Lorestan province
  19. Isa Bayat – Commander of the 364th Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) brigade (Shahid Nasirzadeh) in Mahabad, West Azerbaijan province
  20. Mohammad Taghi Asanloo – Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Hamzeh Seyed Al-Shohada regional headquarters in Northwest Iran

Entities:

  1. Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB)

Source

Individuals:

  1. Seyed Hamid Sajjadi Hazaveh – Iranian Minister of Sports and Youth
  2. Seyyed Mohammed Saleh Hashemi Golpayegani – Head of the Headquarters for Enjoining Right and Forbidding Evil (Headquarters for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice)
  3. Hassan Asgari – Governor of Sanandaj, Kurdistan province Associated entities: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)
  4. Hossein Modarres Khiabani – Former governor of Sistan and Baluchestan province
  5. Esmaeil Zarei Kousha – Governor of Kurdistan province
  6. Mohammad Esmail Kowsari – Member of the Iranian Parliament
  7. Mostafa Mirsalim – Member of the Iranian Parliament
  8. Mohammad Taghi Naghdali – Member of the Iranian Parliament
  9. Mousa Ghazanfarabadi – Member of the Iranian Parliament; head of the Parliament’s legal and judicial commission
  10. Ahmad Noroozi – Head of Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) World Service; CEO of Press TV
  11. Youssef Pouranvari – Director of the Programs and Scheduling Department at the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) foreign-language flagship channel
  12. Ahmad Kadem – Head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) regional headquarters Karbala
  13. Mohammad Nazar Azimi – Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) headquarters Najaf Al-Ashraf
  14.  Abbas Nilfrushan – Deputy commander for operations of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)
  15. Moslem Moein – Head of the Basji Resistance Force (Basij) Cyberspace Headquarters
  16. Mohammad Karami – Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) headquarters Quds for Sistan and Baluchestan province and Kerman province
  17. Ali Akbar Javidan – Commander of the Law Enforcement Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran (LEF) in Kermanshah province
  18. Abbas Azarpendar – CEO of Radis Vira Tejarat Co; regional manager in Iran for Tiandy Technologies

Entities:

  1. Ravin Academy
  2. Samane Gostar Sahab Pardaz Private Limited Company
  3. Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA)
  4. Headquarters for Enjoining Right and Forbidding Evil
  5. Imen Sanat Zaman Fara Company
  6. Iranian Special Police Forces
  7. Radis Vira Tejarat Co
  8. Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Regional Corps Shohada in West Azerbaijan
  9. Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Regional Corps Hazrat Nabi Akram in Kermanshah
  10. Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Regional Corps Quds in Gilan
  11. Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Regional Corps Karbala in Mazandaran
  12. Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Regional Corps Seyyed al-Shohada in Tehran province
  13. Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Operational Base Karbala
  14. Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Operational Base Quds
  15. Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Operational Base Najaf-e-Ashraf
  16. Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Regional Corps Valiasr in Khuzestan
  17. Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Regional Corps Hazrat Abufazl in Lorestan
  18. Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Regional Corps Beit-al-Moqadas in Kurdistan
  19. Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Regional Corps Salaman in Sistan and Baluchestan

Source 

Individuals:

  1. Mohammad Mehdi Esmaeili – Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance
  2. Yousef Nouri – Minister of Education
  3. Farzin Karimi – Member of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS); co-founder of Ravin Academy
  4. Seyed Mojtaba Mostafavi – Member of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS); co-founder of Ravin Academy
  5. Vali Esmaeli – Head of the parliament’s Social Commission
  6. Ahmad Naderi – Member of the Iranian Parliament’s praesidium
  7. Zohreh Elahian – Member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Iranian Parliament
  8. Ahmad Amirabadi Farahani – Member of the Iranian parliament’s presidium
  9. Seyyed Kazem Delkhosh-Abatari – Spokesman of the Judiciary and Legal Commission of the Iranian parliament
  10. Hossein Jalali – Member of parliament
  11. Seyyed Nezamoldin Mousavi – Spokesman of the Iranian Parliament’s board of directors
  12. Habibollah Jan Nesari – Deputy of training and education of the Law Enforcement Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran (LEF)
  13. Hassan Babaei – Head of the State Organization for Registration of Deeds and Properties
  14. Qazi Ghannad – Revolutionary Court prosecutor and judge 
  15. Seyed Hadi Mansouri – Head of the fourth branch of the Revolutionary Court of Mashhad
  16. Hojjat al-Eslam Hossein Hosseini – Head of the Judiciary for the Kurdistan province
  17. Mohammad Jabari – Prosecutor of Kurdistan province
  18. Hojjat al-Eslam Ali Mostafavinia – Cleric; General Prosecutor of Sistan and Baluchestan province
  19. Mehdi Shamsabad – Prosecutor of Sistan and Baluchestan province
  20. Hossein Fazeli Harikandi – General prosecutor of Alborz province
  21. Hassan Madadi – Acting prosecutor in Alborz province
  22. Soghra Khodadadi Taghanaki – Director of Qarchak Women’s Prison
  23. Heidar Pasandideh – Warden of Sanandaj prison
  24. Morteza Piri – Warden of Zahedan Central Prison
  25. Allah-Karam Azizi  – Head of the Rajai Shahr Prison
  26. Mohammad Hossein Khosravi – Director-General of Sistan and Baluchestan Province Prisons, Former Warden of Zahedan Central Prison
  27. Ali Cheharmahali – Director general of Alborz prisons
  28. Ali Fadavi – Deputy commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)
  29. Ramezan Sharif – Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) spokesman
  30. Fathollah Jomeiri – Head of Intelligence Protection Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)/Security Unit of the IRGC
  31. Behdad Kaamfar – Prosecutor at the Karaj Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office
  32. Murad Fathi – Director of prisons for the province of West Azerbaijan

Entities:

  1. Law Enforcement Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran (LEF) Cooperation Foundation
  2. Police Science and Social Studies Institute

Source 

Individuals:

  1.  Abdol Hossein Khosrou Panah – Chairman and secretary of the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution
  2. Ahmad Alam-Al Hoda – Friday imam of Mashhad and representative of Khorasan Razavi province in the Assembly of Experts
  3. Ahmad Rastineh – Member of Parliament and spokesman for the Parliament’s cultural commission
  4. Hodjatoleslam Ali Khan Mohammadi – Spokesman of the Headquarters for Enjoining Right and Forbidding Evil
  5. Mohammad Sadegh Akbari – Chief justice of Mazandaran province
  6. Morteza Barati – presiding judge of branch 1 of the Revolutionary Courts of Isfahan
  7. Musa Asif Al Hosseini – Head judge of branch 1 of the Revolutionary Courts of Karaj, Alborz province
  8. Vahid Jalili – Chief for cultural affairs and policy evolution at the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB)

Entity:

  1. Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution

Resource

Individuals:

  1. Bijan Nobaveh Vatan – Member of the Iranian Parliament 
  2. Ali Yazdikhah – Member of the Iranian Parliament 
  3. Mehdi AliBabaei – Provincial deputy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Qom
  4. AliAsghar Norouzi – Chairman of the board of directors of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Cooperative Foundation
  5. Seyyed Amin Ala Emami Tabatabayi – Vice-chairman of the board of directors of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Cooperative Foundation; managing director of the IRGC Cooperative Foundation
  6. Yahya Alaoddini – Member of the board of directors of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Cooperative Foundation
  7. Jamal Ali Babamoradi –  Member of the board of directors of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Cooperative Foundation
  8. Ahmad Hassa Karimi –  Member of the board of directors of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Cooperative Foundation

Entity:

  1. Ariantel

Source

Individuals:

  1. Salman Adinehvand – Commander of the Relief Unit of Tehran Police, Iran’s Law Enforcement Forces (LEF)
  2. Seyyed Mohammad Amin Aghamiri – Secretary of Iran’s Supreme Council of Cyberspace (SCC)
  3. Mohsen Nikvarz – Public Prosecutor of Sirjan
  4. Nader Moradi – Deputy Supervisor of Public Spaces of the Public Security Police
  5. Saeed Ontazer Al-Mahdi – Police Spokesman

Entities:

  1. Student Basij Organization (SBO)
  2. IRGC Cooperative Foundation

Source

Restrictive measures are now being applied by the European Union (EU) to a total of 216 individuals and 37 entities, as of May 22, 2023. These measures entail an asset freeze, a travel ban to the EU, and a prohibition on making funds or economic resources available to those listed. Furthermore, a ban has been enacted on the export of equipment to Iran that could potentially be used for internal repression or telecommunication monitoring. To access the full list of affected individuals and entities, click here.

See the timeline of the recent EU restrictive measures imposed on Iran here.