Oct. 18 – The UK government imposed sanctions against Iranian individuals and organizations this week, following Iran‘s attack on Israel on Oct. 1.
The sanctions target senior officials in Iran‘s army, air force and organizations linked to Iran‘s ballistic and cruise missile development.
The attack marked the first time Iran targeted Israel directly and from Iranian soil, in the current regional conflict which began on Oct. 7 last year.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi made a rare trip to Egypt to meet with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
The lawmakers, who met in Cairo, discussed regional developments while Al-Sisi called for a de-escalation of the conflict in the Middle East.
The meeting comes at a time when concerns about a full-blown war in the region have become critical, in anticipation of a retaliatory attack by Israeli forces against Iran.
And Iran’s government has approved legislation to impose harsher punishments and financial penalties for women who breach the country’s dress code.
Additional measures include up to ten years in prison for appearing in public in a state considered to be defined as nudity, semi-nudity or a ‘socially considered’ equivalent to nudity.
Iranian social media influencers who make fun of the hijab or promote forms of nudity will face some of the toughest punishments including having to pay a percentage of their earnings in penalties, travel bans and restrictions on where they can work.