Iran sanctions: UK targets financiers 'funnelling money' into 'brutal' military group IRGC

The UK has imposed sanctions on five senior financiers of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

The branch of the Iranian armed forces is responsible for the internal and external security of the country.

But in recent months it has been at the forefront of the violent crackdown on protests since the death of Mahsa Amini in September.

The protests have seen more than 500 killed and tens of thousands imprisoned. They mark one of the boldest challenges to the Islamic rule since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

An asset freeze and UK travel ban was imposed on five members on the board of directors of the IRGC Co-operative Foundation.

This was first established by senior IRGC officials, to manage the group's investments in the Iranian economy.

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The sanctions have been handed out now as the foundation has broadened its remit to funding the IRGC's "repressive activities in Iran and abroad".

This includes the external militant group IRGC-Quds Force - which is responsible for carrying out lethal activities outside of Iran - the government said.

Two senior IRGC commanders operating in Tehran and Alborz provinces were also handed sanctions on Monday.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said: "Today we are taking action on the senior leaders within the IRGC who are responsible for funnelling money into the regime's brutal repression.

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"Together with our partners around the world, we will continue to stand with the Iranian people as they call for fundamental change in Iran."

The IRGC was first established in 1979 to protect the Shiite clerical ruling system.

It has an established 125,000-strong military, and commands the Basij religious militia - an auxiliary force with various duties, including internal security, law enforcement, special religious or political events and morals policing.

Since October, the UK has imposed new sanctions on more than a dozen senior IRGC officials and more recently, in February, on a number of senior commanders under the UK's Iran human rights regime.