UK imposes sanctions on Iranian military leaders after attack on Israel

Britain on Monday ordered sanctions against top Iranian military figures after the Islamic Republic's October 1 ballistic missile attack on Israel.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said Iran had ignored repeated warnings that its "dangerous actions" -- and those of its proxies -- were fuelling conflict in the Middle East.

Among the individuals subject to a travel ban and assets freeze are the commander-in-chief of the Iranian army,  Abdolrahim Mousavi, and the head of the Air Force Hamid Vahedi.

Iran said it launched the missile attack in response to Israel's killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon, and the death of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in a Tehran bombing widely blamed on Israel.

It was Iran's second direct attack on Israel after a missile and drone attack in April in response to an air strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus that it blamed on Israel.

Lammy, in Luxembourg at a meeting with EU foreign ministers, said in a statement that the sanctions were a way to hold Iran to account and expose those behind the attacks.

"Alongside allies and partners, we will continue to take necessary measures to challenge Iran's unacceptable threats and press for de-escalation across the region," he added.

The British list also features the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps intelligence chief Mohammad Kazemi. Two companies, including Iran's space agency, whose technology can be used in cruise and ballistic missiles were hit with an assets freeze.

Last week, the US government imposed restrictions on dozens of companies in Iran's oil and petrochemicals sectors, to cut off funding of what it said was the country's "destabilizing activity".