Iraq sanctions: guidance
Statutory guidance for the Iraq sanctions regime, plus a summary of its purposes, scope and prohibitions.
Documents
Details
The Iraq (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020, and certain other regulations, are in force to implement certain UN obligations.
This summary gives a quick overview of the sanctions in place under the regime. It is not comprehensive and is not a replacement for the statutory guidance or the regulations themselves.
Summary
Regime is limited in scope to:
- sanctions targeting designated persons
- asset freeze sanctions on persons specified by the UN
- sanctions in respect of:
- military goods and technology
- illegally removed Iraqi cultural property
Designated persons
The UK Sanctions List tells you who is designated under the regime and which sanctions have been applied to them. A designated person can be an individual, a business or an organisation.
The Regulations impose a partial asset freeze on the former Government of Iraq and its state bodies, corporations and agencies.
The regulations impose an asset freeze in relation to persons connected with the former Iraqi regime.
Sanctioned goods and services
You must not export or otherwise supply or transfer to or for use in Iraq, or to a person connected with Iraq certain goods in these categories (this is not an exhaustive list):
- military, security and para-military goods, software and technology and arms, ammunition and related material
Related brokering services may also be subject to sanctions.
You must not export or import, supply, deliver, make available or acquire ‘illegally removed Iraqi cultural property’, or provide financial services, funds or brokering services in connection with an arrangement whose object or effect is one of these prohibited acts.
Updates to this page
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Added summary of the regime's purposes, scope and prohibitions.
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Page has been updated for better clarity and usability. No material changes to text.
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Page navigation has been updated for better usability. No material changes to text.
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These changes reflect the Sanctions (EU Exit) (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No.2) Regulations 2024 and taken together make a range of technical changes with the purpose of improving OFSI’s ability to gather intelligence on industry’s compliance with financial sanctions, strengthen OFSI’s enforcement powers, enable OFSI to conduct its licensing responsibilities more efficiently, and clarify financial sanctions legislation where there is existing uncertainty.
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Updated to reflect provisions of UN Humanitarian Exception SI
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First published.