Overview
- The UK, which announced 12 designations Monday, froze assets, banned travel and disqualified directors tied to the Zindashti Network, Berelian Exchange, GCM Exchange and five Zarringhalam family members.
- Officials said the targets used shadow banking—front companies and exchange houses outside normal banks—to move money for Tehran and its proxies.
- Ministers said the measures aim to cut illicit finance flows and deter criminal groups used by parts of Iran’s state to threaten people in Britain and Europe.
- Authorities also named Ekrem Oztunc, Namiq Salifov, Nihat Abdul Kadir Asan and Reza Hamidiravari as figures accused of threatening or planning attacks in the UK or elsewhere.
- The move aligns with new US sanctions on Iran’s oil financing networks and with Australian listings as allies plan a defensive mission to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.