# The Iran (Sanctions) Regulations 2023, Regulation 51: Specification of ships

Extent: E+W+S+N.I.

(1) The Secretary of State may specify ships within the meaning of section 7 of the Act for for any of the following purposes—
(za) regulation 43C (provision of services relating to specified ships);
(zb) regulation 43D (procurement of services relating to specified ships);
(zc) regulation 45A (prohibition on chartering or operating specified ships);
(a) regulation 46 (prohibition on port entry),
(b) regulation 47 (directions prohibiting port entry),
(c) regulation 48 (movement of ships),
(d) regulation 49 (detention of ships), and
(e) regulation 50 (registration of ships in the United Kingdom).
(2) The Secretary of State must specify a ship by its International Maritime Organization number or, where it is not reasonably practicable to identify it by that number, by any other means that the Secretary of State considers appropriate.
(3) The Secretary of State may not specify a ship unless the Secretary of State has reasonable grounds to suspect that the ship is, has been, or is likely to be, involved in a relevant activity.
(4) For the purposes of this regulation a ship is “involved in a relevant activity” if the ship is used for any activity whose object or effect is—
(a) to contravene or circumvent, or to enable or facilitate the contravention or circumvention of, any provision of these Regulations;
(b) the commission of a serious human rights violation or abuse in Iran;
(c) hostile activity by the Government of Iran;
(d) hostile activity by an armed group backed by the Government of Iran.
(5) For the purposes of paragraph (4), “hostile activity” includes carrying—
(a) restricted goods or restricted technology—
(i) from a place in Iran to a third country,
(ii) from a third country to a place in Iran, or
(iii) from one third country to another third country for use in Iran or a third country;
(b) further restricted goods, further restricted technology, dual-use goods, goods of strategic concern or technology of strategic concern—
(i) from a place in Iran to a third country,
(ii) from a third country to a place in Iran, or
(iii) from one third country to another third country for use in Iran or a third country;
(c) any other goods or technology that is intended to contribute to threatening, planning or conducting activity which is intended to cause the destabilisation of the United Kingdom or any other country including—
(i) activity which undermines or is intended to undermine—
(aa) the integrity, prosperity or security of the United Kingdom or any other country;
(bb) the resolution of any armed conflict or the protection of civilians in conflict zones;
(ii) activity which aids or facilitates serious organised crime in the United Kingdom or in any other country;
(d) any other goods or technology that could contribute to threatening, planning or conducting attacks against ships including the detention and sabotage of ships;
(e) any other goods or technology that could contribute to planning or conducting espionage for the Government of Iran;
(f) any other goods or technology that could contribute to carrying on business in the Iranian defence sector;
(g) oil and petroleum products that originated in Iran—
(i) from a place in Iran to a third country, or
(ii) from one third country to another third country;
(h) natural gas that originated in Iran—
(i) from a place in Iran to a third country, or
(ii) from one third country to another third country.
(6) For the purpose of paragraph (5), “carrying” includes any transfer of the goods or technology concerned between ships on which those goods or technology are being carried as mentioned in that paragraph.
(7) In this regulation—
“the 2019 Regulations” means the Iran (Sanctions) (Nuclear) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019;
“dual-use goods” means—
(a)any thing for the time being specified in Annex I of the Dual-Use Regulation, other than any thing which is dual-use technology, and
(b)any tangible storage medium on which dual-use technology is recorded or from which it can be derived;
“dual-use technology” means any thing for the time being specified in Annex I of the Dual-Use Regulation which is described as software or technology;
“further restricted goods” includes any thing which is a restricted good under regulation 20 of the 2019 Regulations;
“further restricted technology” include any thing which is restricted technology under regulation 20 of the 2019 Regulations;
“goods of strategic concern” has the meaning given in regulation 36;
“natural gas” means any thing specified in Schedule 1E to the 2019 Regulations;
“oil and petroleum products” means any thing specified in Schedule 1F to the 2019 Regulations;
“restricted goods” and “restricted technology” have the meanings given in regulation 8;
“technology of strategic concern” has the meaning given in regulation 36.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2023/1314/regulation/51 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/iran-sanctions-regulations-2023/regulation-51
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.