Nine European countries outside the European Union have officially joined the EU Council's decision to impose and expand sanctions on Iran. The countries that are aligning their national policies with the European restrictive measures are Ukraine, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro and the Republic of Moldova.
The official statement was issued by the Council of the EU and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. The move comes in response to the Islamic Republic's ongoing serious human rights abuses, as well as Tehran's destabilizing actions in the Middle East and the Red Sea.
Who are the new sanctioned individuals?
The EU Council decision, to which the nine partner nations join, includes the addition of new key figures to the blacklist:
Five Iranian judges accused by the Community of conducting unfair trials and passing death sentences against political dissidents. Nima Salehi, a known hacker associated with the cyber group “Ashiyane“ (Ashiyane), which carried out attacks on Western institutions.The restrictive measures provide for a full freezing of assets in the territory of the participating countries, as well as ban on travel and transit through their borders.
Reasons for increasing pressure on Tehran
International pressure is being coordinated against the backdrop of several serious geopolitical factors:
Repression against civilians: According to human rights organizations, the number of executions in Iran continues to increase. The EU and 26 countries recently issued a joint statement condemning the use of the judiciary to silence critics of the regime. Military support for Russia: Tehran continues to supply unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) and missile technology used in the war against Ukraine. Threats to shipping: The EU sanctions framework was also expanded to include individuals responsible for blocking and threatening free navigation in the strategic Strait of Hormuz.The European Union officially welcomed the commitment of the nine countries to synchronize their restrictive lists with those of Brussels, defining the act as a strong signal of international unanimity.