United Kingdom condemns Iran’s bloody crackdown on protesters, signals additional sanctions on oil and finance sectors

[Financial News] The Government of the United Kingdom strongly condemned the Iranian authorities’ violent crackdown on anti-government protesters and signaled additional sanctions against Iran. As reports continue to emerge of large numbers of deaths during the suppression of the protests, Western pressure on Iran appears to be intensifying further.
Yvette Cooper, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom, said in a speech to the House of Commons on the 13th (local time), “We condemn in the strongest possible terms the horrific and brutal killing of protesters in Iran,” adding, “The Iranian authorities must respect the fundamental rights and freedoms of their own people.”
In Iran, anti-government protests over the country’s economic crisis have continued, and many people are reported to have been killed as a result of the authorities’ hard-line response. Activists News Agency, a United States of America (US)-based human rights group, estimates that the death toll is around 2,000. By contrast, Iran International, a dissident media outlet headquartered in the United Kingdom (UK), reported projections that the number of deaths could reach as high as 12,000.
Cooper explained, “We summoned the Iranian ambassador to make clear just how grave the current situation is and to demand a responsible response to the horrific reports we are receiving.”
She went on to say, “The Government of the United Kingdom will draw up legislation to implement comprehensive and additional sanctions and sectoral measures against Iran.” The UK has already designated key actors in Iran’s oil, energy, nuclear, and financial systems as targets of sanctions.
Cooper stated, “In addition, we will target for sanctions the financial, energy, transport, software, and other major industrial sectors involved in heightening nuclear tensions in Iran.” She also stressed coordination with the European Union (EU) and other partner countries, adding, “We will work closely together to examine what further measures are needed in response to recent developments.”

km@fnnews.com Kim Kyung-min Reporter