The EU is preparing new sanctions against Iran for supporting Russia’s military efforts

On Monday, November 18, the Council of the EU at the level of foreign ministers plans to discuss the reaction to the aid that Russia receives from third countries, in particular North Korea. A high-ranking EU official, who is not authorized to give official comments, told journalists in Brussels about this at a closed briefing.

“There will also be sanctions: we have a political agreement on the second package against Iran regarding the transfer of ballistic missiles to Russia… And we are already working on the fifteenth package (sanctions against Russia — ed.)“, said the official.

Revealing the details of the next round of sanctions against Iran, the interlocutor of the journalists noted that the measures will be similar to those introduced in the first round: there are seven individuals and seven legal entities.

“Nothing drastic – just the addition of new people and the creation of new organizations. Basically, we want to continue the pressure on Iran, sending a clear message to Tehran that it should stop military cooperation with Russia,” the EU official stressed.

According to the documents obtained by RFE/RL, one natural person and four legal companies will be blacklisted. Among them are three Russian shipping companies that deliver Iranian military goods, including drone components, to the Russian Federation, as well as the national sea carrier of Iran.

Regarding Russia’s possible military cooperation with China, the official noted that the EU will react objectively when it has relevant evidence.

“We received information from intelligence sources about the existence of a factory in China for the production of drones, which are delivered to Russia and used in the war against Ukraine. But we have nothing more. We have no clear evidence of exactly what is happening. Therefore, we should continue to work on this and observe whether there is direct cooperation between China and Russia regarding military equipment,” the EU official noted.

The interlocutor of the journalists added that it is necessary to verify the veracity of the information about the existence of a factory for the production of drones, and if it is confirmed, to find out whether they were sent to Russia, and to find out what the authorities of the People’s Republic of China know about it.

Earlier, on October 14, the Council of the EU adopted restrictive measures against seven individuals and seven legal entities due to Iran’s transfer of missiles and drones to Russia.

The sanctions list included individuals and legal entities responsible for the development and transfer of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), missiles and related technologies to Russia in support of its aggressive war against Ukraine, as well as to armed groups and organizations that undermine peace and security in the Middle East and the Red Sea region.