New Zealand has announced new sanctions against Iranian actors supplying military support to Russia, coinciding with a week in which Moscow set a record for deploying Iranian drones to strike civilian targets in Ukraine.
The latest sanctions package is designed to address the use of chemical weapons on Ukraine's frontlines but also extends to those implicated in the transfer of arms to Russia for deployment in the conflict, according to the New Zealand Foreign Ministry.
The sanctions target seven individuals and five entities, with six of the individuals being Iranian nationals. These include Ali Jafarabadi, Head of Iran's Space Command within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force (IRGC-ASF), and Hamid Reza Sharifi Tehrani, a member of the Board of Directors of Qods Aviation Industries.
Others named are Mohammad Reza Mohammadi, Mohammad Sadegh Heidari Mousa, and Mohsen Asadi, all members of the Board of Paravar Pars Company. Additionally, Seyed Hamzeh Ghalandari, Director General for International Relations of Iran’s Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL), is also listed.
“Transfers of Iranian weaponry facilitates Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine. New Zealand condemns those who are providing support,” Foreign Minister Winston Peters said on Thursday.
These sanctions come amid intensified Russian drone offensives in Ukraine, where Iranian-made Shahed suicide drones have caused significant damage to infrastructure and residential areas.
“The enemy launched a record number of Shahed attack UAVs and unidentified drones,” Ukraine's air force said Tuesday in a statement reported by Reuters.
Known for their low cost and destructive capability, these drones have been extensively deployed to target Ukrainian energy facilities and civilian areas. Ukrainian authorities have described the latest wave of attacks as the most extensive use of Shahed drones to date.
International criticism of Iran’s role in the conflict has grown. Earlier this week, the G7 and the European Union issued a joint statement condemning Iran’s arms transfers to Russia and its missile activities in the Middle East, highlighting the broader destabilizing impact of Tehran’s actions.
Similarly, in September, the G7 condemned Iran, declaring, "Iran must immediately cease all support to Russia's illegal and unjustifiable war against Ukraine and halt such transfers of ballistic missiles, UAVs, and related technology." The statement underscored the broader implications of these actions, identifying them as a direct threat to Ukraine, European stability, and global security.
New Zealand’s sanctions align with similar moves by other nations, reinforcing global efforts to address Iran’s military collaboration with Russia and its impact on Ukraine’s sovereignty and regional stability.
