The European Union announced on Friday that it was placing new sanctions against 227 Iranian individuals and 42 Iranian entities.
The EU announced the sanctions had been placed due to Iran’s provision of UAVs to Russia for use in its invasion of Ukraine and “the Iranian drone and missile attacks against Israel on 13 April 2024, and Iran’s military support for armed groups in the Middle East and Red Sea region,” according to the Council of the European Union’s website.
The EU also stressed, “The European Union is deeply concerned by the successive reports of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) documenting the alarming acceleration of Iran’s nuclear programme that gravely departs from its Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action commitments, in particular with regard to the expansion of its nuclear enrichment capacity and production of highly enriched uranium.”
The parties sanctioned include members of the Iranian parliament, Information and Communications Technology Issa Zarepour, members of the IRGC, and members of the Iranian regime’s police. The Culture and Islamic Guidance Ministry, Education Ministry and Press TV were also sanctioned.
US sanctions against Iran
The US also issued sanctions against Iran on Firday, targeting entities it accused of enabling Iran's drone program, in Washington's latest action seeking to disrupt the production and proliferation of the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) used by Russia against Ukraine.
“Today’s action reinforces our commitment to disrupt Iran’s production and proliferation of deadly UAVs that continue to be used by Russia against Ukraine and by regional terrorist proxies against our troops,” US Treasury Department Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Brian Nelson, said in a statement.
“Treasury will continue to impose costs on those who seek to procure the components Iran needs for its UAV programs and enable the shipment of these weapons to destabilizing actors around the world.”
Iran has supplied thousands of Shahed kamikaze drones to Russia throughout its invasion of Ukraine launched in February 2022. They have been used to exhaust Ukrainian air defenses and hit infrastructure far from the front lines.
The Treasury said it imposed sanctions on four entities that have procured critical parts for Iran's drone program as well as an executive of Iran Aviation Industries Organization (IAIO), a subsidiary of Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL).
The Treasury said Afshin Khajeh Fard, the chief of IAIO, oversees its efforts to produce drones and missiles.
Friday's action freezes any of their US assets and generally bars Americans from dealing with them. Those that engaged in certain transactions with them also risk being hit with sanctions.