Achi news desk-
Canada on Thursday joined the United States and the United Kingdom in imposing additional sanctions on Iran over its unprecedented missile and drone attack on Israel earlier this month.
Foreign Minister Melanie Joly announced that Ottawa is punishing Iran’s defense minister, Mohammad Reza Ashtiani, the general staff of the armed forces, Central Headquarters Khatam al-Anbiya and its commander, Gholam Ali Rashid.
“Today’s measures send a clear message: Canada and its allies are ready and will not hesitate to act against the Iranian regime as it seeks to destabilize regional peace and security,” Joly said in a statement.
Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters is the main command headquarters of the Iranian Armed Forces.
US and UK sanctions also announced on Thursday that they are targeting Iran’s drone industry. Britain also said it would introduce new bans on the export of drone and missile components to Iran, seeking to limit its military capabilities.
While both countries said the sanctions were in response to Iran’s attack on Israel, the US Treasury said it was also trying to block Tehran’s supply of drones to Russia in its invasion of Ukraine.
Thursday’s actions come after the United States and the United Kingdom imposed coordinated sanctions on Iranian military figures and organizations in response to the attack on Israel.
The email you need for the day’s top news stories from Canada and around the world.
Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles on April 13 against Israel, its first direct attack on the country, in retaliation for a suspected Israeli airstrike on its embassy compound in Damascus on April 1 that killed elite military officers.
Most of the missiles and drones launched by Iran were intercepted by Israeli and US coalition forces, as well as Israeli air defense systems. It followed an Israeli drone attack on an Iranian airport on April 19, but Iran has downplayed the incident and said it will not retaliate further.
Israeli and American troops have not publicly confirmed that Israel was behind the April 1 or April 19 strikes.
—With files from Reuters
& copy 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
