European Union to Sanction Iran's Shipping Industry

A draft of new EU sanctions, which Radio Farda has reviewed, indicates that the bloc is seeking to impose sanctions on several individuals and entities related to Iran's military cooperation with Russia. Among the targets of these sanctions, which will be voted on Monday, November 19, is the Islamic Republic Shipping Line. The EU believes this group has been "involved in the transfer of military shipments for years." The EU has already sanctioned Iran Air and Iran's Deputy Minister of Defense. The Islamic Republic Shipping Line, IRISL, was previously sanctioned by the United States in 2020 and was also sanctioned by the EU in 2013 due to its cooperation with Iran's nuclear program. The Islamic Republic Shipping Line had been relieved of sanctions following the Iran nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA, but the EU is now seeking to reinstate those sanctions. The previous sanctions package from the EU included sanctions against Iran Air, which on October 15 sanctioned three Iranian airlines, including Iran Air, Mahan Air, and Saha Airlines, for their involvement in transferring missiles, drones, and other weapons from Iran to Russia for use in the Ukraine war. The EU also included Seyed Hamzeh Qalandari, Iran's Deputy Minister of Defense, commanders of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters, and the Aerospace Force of the IRGC, as well as CEOs of Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (HESA) and Iran's Aerospace Industries Organization in the sanctions list. Recently, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated in a press conference that investigations show Tehran has not yet supplied ballistic missiles to Russia. Following Zelensky's comments, Abbas Araghchi, Iran's Foreign Minister, called on the EU to immediately rectify its "mistake" in sanctioning Iranian airlines. However, two senior EU officials told Radio Farda that the bloc's sanctions are based on accurate information. According to German news agency reports, new sanctions against Iran will be imposed. Additionally, a European Union official stated that these new punitive measures will follow the initial sanctions package. It is reported that EU foreign ministers are set to approve these new sanctions in a meeting in Brussels, which will discuss the Ukraine war and the support Russia receives from North Korea, China, and Iran. Although Tehran does not deny advancing military cooperation with Moscow, it claims that reports of ballistic missiles allegedly exported to Russia by Iran are not true.