New Zealand Bans Iranian Ministers and IRGC Members

Istanbul (ANTARA) - The New Zealand government has imposed sanctions and travel bans on several Iranian ministers and officials allegedly involved in the deaths of citizens during recent protests in the Middle Eastern country.

New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Winston Peters said the travel bans target 40 individuals, including Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni, Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib, and Attorney General Mohammad Movahedi-Azad.

Peters added that the ban also includes members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

“The Iranian people have the right to peaceful protest, freedom of expression, and access to information. These rights have been brutally violated,” Peters said in a statement on Wednesday (February 23).

He stated that New Zealand has joined Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the European Union in imposing sanctions on Iran.

The individuals subject to the ban will not be allowed to enter or transit through New Zealand.

New Zealand has also imposed sanctions on 29 individuals and 19 Iranian entities for allegedly “supporting” Russia in the war against Ukraine.

Earlier this month, the Iranian presidential office released a report listing 2,986 names of people killed in anti-government protests that erupted at the end of 2025, out of a total of 3,117 deaths recorded during the unrest. The victims include civilians and members of the security forces.

The wave of protests, which lasted about two weeks, was triggered by deteriorating economic and social conditions.

The Iranian government acknowledged public dissatisfaction but accused the United States and Israel of trying to exploit the unrest through sanctions and pressure to incite instability in order to justify foreign intervention and regime change.

Source: Anadolu

Translator: Yoanita Hastryka Djohan