Media Releases

The Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) welcomes the Government’s belated decision to impose sanctions on five Iranian individuals involved in the regime’s missile program.

The sanctioned individuals are:

• Nader Khoon Siavash and Seyed Mirahmad Nooshin, both Directors in Iran’s Aerospace Industries Organisation (AIO)
• Mohammad Gholami, senior official in the AIO
• Sayyed Javad Musavi, Commercial Director of Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group (SHIG)
• Amir Radfar, Director of Shahid Bagheri Industrial Group (SBIG)

The Government said the program poses “a material threat to regional and international security,” citing Iran’s October 1 ballistic missile attack against Israel and its provision of missiles and other equipment to its regional proxies to launch daily attacks as well as to Russia for use against Ukraine.

AIJAC Executive Director Dr Colin Rubenstein said: “The announcement of sanctions against these individuals sends an important message to the Iranian regime that its destabilising and destructive proliferation and use of missiles will not be tolerated. Unfortunately, the message is undercut by the Government’s continuing reluctance to coordinate with allies with regard to sanctions.

“Iran’s shipment of ballistic missiles to Russia saw all of Australia’s allies acting more than a month ago, for instance, while all our Government did was send a supportive tweet on September 11. Why did it take more than a month for Australia to announce these sanctions? Moreover, why has the Government failed to impose any new sanctions targeting the Iranian regime’s escalating support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in the form of artillery and small arms ammunition, drones and other materiel since March 20, 2023?”

Dr Rubenstein noted that “All five individuals sanctioned today were sanctioned by the UK six months ago, on April 18. Siavash has been sanctioned by the European Union, Canada and the US since 2023. Musavi and Nooshin have been sanctioned by the US and Canada since 2016. Gholami has been sanctioned by the US since 2020, Radfar since 2023. Australia continues to wait months or, in some cases, years to add individuals clearly worthy of sanctions to its Consolidated List instead of acting alongside its allies.

“It is vital to coordinate the timing and targets of Australian sanctions with allies and partners to increase their impact, a key theme in AIJAC’s recent submission to the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Reference Committee’s inquiry into Australia’s sanctions regime earlier this year,” he concluded.