New Zealand imposes fresh sanctions on Russia, Iran over Ukraine war

New Zealand announced further sanctions on Iranian actors involved in providing military assistance to Russia, specifically through the production and supply of drones.

The new sanction package also includes Russian individuals and entities involved in the illegal transfer of weaponry from North Korea to Russia for use in Ukraine.

According to a statement by the New Zealand Foreign Ministry, these sanctions target seven individuals and 12 entities providing military support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The Iranian individuals are Mohsen Vahabzadeh Moghadam, Abbas Abdi Asjerd, and Ehsan Varnosfaderani. The list also includes entities such as Bonyan Danesh Shargh, Alvand Motorbuilding Industries Company, Pishro Sanat Aseman Sharif Company, and Saad Sazeh Faraz Sharif Company.

“New Zealand condemns all those who provide military support to Russia in its war of aggression against Ukraine. The supply of Iranian drones and North Korean weapons to Russia constitutes a threat to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a statement on Thursday.

In May last year, New Zealand sanctioned 11 Iranian people and seven entities for supplying drones to Russia.

Since March 2022, New Zealand has imposed sanctions on more than 1,700 individuals and entities, along with a range of trade measures.