The Australian government has imposed sanctions on senior Iranian military and government officials, as well as the leaders of Myanmar's military junta.
Among the 16 Iranians targeted by the travel bans and asset freezes is the commander-in-chief of the nation's army, Major General Sayyed Abdolrahim Mousavi.
The government said those hit with sanctions "have engaged in, been responsible for, or been complicit in, serious violations or serious abuses of human rights in Iran".
"The listings cover serious violations or serious abuses of the right to life and the right not to be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment," the sanctions notice explained.
"These relate to the oppression of women in enforcing the Islamic dress code and violent suppression of peaceful protests in Iran."
The sanctions comes just hours before a Senate committee, which has been investigating human rights abuses in Iran, is expected to recommend Australia list Iran's brutal Islamic Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation.
"We already have sanctions … on the IRGC, and those have been in place since 2021, as well as a number of IRGC linked persons and entities," Foreign Minister Penny Wong told reporters in London.
"I've seen the calls for the IRGC to be listed.
"As the attorney-general said, we don't comment on what listings might or might not be considered under the Criminal Code."
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said advice from the Attorney-General's Department suggested it was not possible to list the IRGC as a terrorist organisation.
Myanmar junta leader also sanctioned
Two years after the military coup in Myanmar, Australia has also imposed sanctions on 16 officials from the ruling junta.
They include Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the junta's leader, and his deputy Soe Win.
"In the two years since [the coup], the people of Myanmar have demonstrated their courage, their commitment to a democratic country, demanded respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and have shown determined resilience in the face of unspeakable atrocities," Senator Wong said.
"The military regime has responded violently to any form of opposition, including peaceful protests.
"We know from credible reports that thousands of civilians, including children have been jailed, tortured or killed.
"There is evidence of air strikes, bombardments and the mass burning of villages and places or worship having been indiscriminately targeted, including civilians and civilian infrastructure."
Australia had faced years of criticism from human rights advocates, due to its reluctance to join international sanctions against the junta.
The hesitation appeared to be due to the imprisonment of Australian man Sean Turnell, who had been working as an adviser to ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi when the military junta arrested him after its coup in February 2021.
Professor Turnell was released in November last year and returned to Australia, although the military junta has since revoked his pardon.
The Myanmar sanctions have been welcomed by civil society groups who have long been pressing the government to take action.
Tun-Aung Shwe, who represents Myanmar's shadow National Unity Government in Canberra, also welcomed the news.
"[The sanctions] could be wider, but this is a really good first step. Targeting the top generals and members of the State Administration Council is absolutely the right target for the first sanctions," he told the ABC.
"Australia has taken one step forward and is standing with its traditional allies and liberal democratic countries showing that the international community is fighting against the dictatorship in Myanmar and the brutality of the military junta."
Justice for Myanmar spokesperson Yadanar Maung also praised the move but said the "Myanmar military conglomerates and war criminals" who were targeted "should have been sanctioned long ago for their role in genocide against the Rohingya".
"Australia should now step up its pace of designations and systematically target the Myanmar junta's sources of funds, arms, [and] the jet fuel in coordination with its allies," the spokesperson said.
"This should include targeting Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise, which is the junta's biggest source of foreign revenue, as well as mining state-owned enterprises, junta arms brokers and cronies. "
Calls for Australia to follow allies
But the CEO of Transparency International Australia, Clancy Moore, said the Australian government needed to go further.
"We welcome the long-overdue sanctions introduced by Australia on the corrupt and murderous Myanmar military," he said.
"Australia should now follow the lead of our allies — the US, UK and EU who have issued over 400 sanctions — and introduce further sanctions that target Myanmar's generals, their families and other economic entities.
"Australian-linked mining companies and investors are still doing business with the corrupt and violent junta.
"The lack of sanctions by the Australian government on state-owned enterprises — Myanmar Mining no. 1 and No. 2 — which are controlled by the junta, is helping to enrich the generals."
Dr Shwe said he also hoped the government would continue to ramp up sanctions directly targeting the gas revenue which is continuing to flow into the junta's coffers.
"We hope the government will consider imposing future sanctions and I'd like to propose the energy ministry and people involved there, because it remains the main source of revenue for the military junta," he said.
"We need to cut off the main source of revenue flowing to the military junta."
Hervé Lemahieu from the Lowy Institute said the release of Sean Turnell by Myanmar's military junta had "clearly freed Australia's hand to pursue targeted sanctions".
"It's a logical next step in response to both a deteriorating situation on the ground and to building domestic and international pressure to bring Australia into line with other Western countries," he said.
But Mr Lemahieu said two years on from the military coup there was still a "policy chasm on Myanmar more generally".
"Canberra has been curiously absent from regional efforts to tackle the crisis," he said.
"The West is ratcheting up sanctions in contrast to the softly-softly diplomacy of India, China and Japan. But neither of these approaches, on their own, is likely to change the military's calculus.
"As a well-connected middle power, one step removed from the crisis, Australia can help to bridge the divided global response to the coup.
"Our neighbour Indonesia has stepped up. And Australia is well placed to promote deeper dialogue about how to push for the same ends in Myanmar between our South-East Asian partners, China, the United States, Japan and India."
