London: The British government has imposed sanctions on 121 Iranian individuals and entities, as part of the snapback of UN sanctions triggered by three European signatories of the 2015 nuclear deal.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, the UK Treasury announced in a statement that those on the sanctions list are subject to asset freezes and financial restrictions due to their ‘connections to Iran’s nuclear program.’ Banks and financial institutions have been ordered to freeze the accounts of the named individuals and halt any transactions or financial services provided to them. The statement further warned that non-compliance or attempts to evade these regulations could lead to criminal consequences.

The sanctions target officials and experts from the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), commanders of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC), companies linked to defense industries, research centers, and several Iranian banks. The UK Treasury emphasized that financial institutions are mandated to freeze the assets of the individuals and entities named and report any transactions or financial services provided to them. It reiterated that failure to comply with these regulations or attempts to circumvent them could result in criminal consequences.

Iran has dismissed the unilateral action by Britain, France, and Germany in activating the snapback mechanism as legally void, arguing that the Troika is attempting to exert political pressure on Tehran by misusing the dispute resolution mechanism outlined in the 2015 deal. The sanctions and UN resolutions, previously lifted under the nuclear agreement, were re-imposed on September 28 following the activation of the snapback mechanism.

The Islamic Republic has consistently maintained that its nuclear program is purely peaceful and has vowed to firmly defend its rights against what it calls the West’s illegal actions.