The European Union on Monday broadened its sanctions against Iran, targeting vessels, ports, and entities accused of aiding Russia’s military efforts in Ukraine. The measures, announced after a meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers in Brussels, focus on restricting Iran’s support for drone and missile supplies.
The 27-member bloc banned the export, transfer, or sale of components from the EU to Iran used in manufacturing missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). It also imposed a ban on transactions with Iranian ports, such as Amirabad and Anzali, controlled by sanctioned individuals or entities, or used to transport drones and missiles to Russia.
The EU statement clarified that the restrictions include denying access to port facilities and docks for vessels associated with sanctioned entities. However, exceptions can be made for reasons such as maritime safety.
Additionally, sanctions were imposed on Iran’s state-run shipping company, IRISL, its director Mohammad Reza Khiabani, and three Russian shipping firms accused of transferring arms via the Caspian Sea.
The EU has previously sanctioned Iranian officials and organizations, including airlines, for allegedly supplying military aid to Russia. Monday’s measures escalate the pressure on Tehran, which the West accuses of providing drones and missile components used in Moscow’s war against Ukraine.
Tehran has consistently denied these allegations. Ahead of the sanctions announcement, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi criticized the EU, accusing it of using “non-existent missile pretexts” to target Iran’s shipping sector.
“There is no legal, logical, or moral basis for such behavior,” Araghchi wrote on social media platform X, formerly Twitter. “If anything, it will only compel what it ostensibly seeks to prevent. Freedom of navigation is a basic principle of the law of the sea, and selective application will boomerang.”
The sanctions come as Iran’s economy struggles under the weight of U.S. sanctions reimposed after Washington’s unilateral withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal.
Responding to the EU’s actions, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran would evaluate the measures and decide how to respond.
The EU’s latest move reflects heightened tensions between Europe and Iran, as Brussels intensifies efforts to counter Russia’s military capabilities. The new sanctions aim to disrupt supply chains enabling the transfer of weapons to the Ukrainian battlefield, underscoring Europe’s broader strategy to support Kyiv and pressure Moscow.
