UK and US Sanction Iran Over Assassination Plots Amid Rising Tensions

Iran denies involvement in recent attacks, as critics argue sanctions alone won't deter transnational repression.

The UK and US have imposed sanctions on Iranian officials and criminal gangs linked to Iran, following credible threats to kill or kidnap individuals in the UK.
The sanctions come amid increased tensions in the Middle East, with Iran-backed militias blamed for a deadly drone attack on a US base in Jordan.
Iran has summoned the British ambassador to Tehran in protest of the accusations and sanctions, denying any links to the Jordan strike.
Journalists and officials warn that sanctions alone will not deter Iran from its tactics of transnational repression, calling for more meaningful action from the international community.
Among those sanctioned is the head of an international drug and trafficking cartel, who has also been indicted in the US for plotting to assassinate two residents of Maryland.