Iraqi Warns of Potential EU Sanctions on Iranian Shipping Ahead of EU Foreign Ministers Meeting

Ahead of the EU Foreign Ministers meeting, Iran's Foreign Minister described the potential sanctions on the Islamic Republic's shipping as 'baseless' and warned that such actions would lead to 'the very thing the EU seeks to prevent.' Earlier, Radio Farda reported that the EU is preparing new sanctions against individuals and entities involved in military cargo transfers between Iran and Russia, including the Islamic Republic's shipping. The EU believes that the Islamic Republic's shipping has been 'involved in military cargo transfers for years.' Abbas Araghchi, while again denying the transfer of ballistic missiles from Iran to Russia, wrote on social media on Sunday evening, November 19, that 'the EU intends to use the same unfounded excuse of missile exports to sanction our shipping lines.' He noted that the President of Ukraine 'personally confirmed that no Iranian ballistic missiles have been exported to Russia.' Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, had stated about two weeks ago that Iran and Russia had extensive discussions regarding the export of ballistic missiles, but according to Kyiv's information, their negotiations are still ongoing and these missiles have not been delivered. The United States and the EU have stated that information and documentation indicate that a shipment of these missiles was sent from Iran to Russia. Additionally, two senior EU officials told Radio Farda that the EU's sanctions were based on accurate information. Last month, the EU approved its first package of sanctions in this regard, which included sanctions against three Iranian airlines: Iran Air, Mahan Air, and Saha Airlines. Abbas Araghchi called the sanctions against Iranian airlines 'unjust' and, referring to new sanctions that the EU is seeking to approve, wrote: 'There is no legal, logical, or moral basis for any of these actions.' The Iranian Foreign Minister also stated in his social media message: 'These actions will lead to the very thing that the EU seeks to prevent.' He did not provide clarification on this matter, and it is unclear whether he refers to the further expansion of military cooperation between Iran and Russia or to the Islamic Republic's shipping, which the EU claims is involved in military cargo transfers. The EU Foreign Ministers meeting is scheduled to take place today, Monday, November 20, in Brussels.