The European Union Extends Sanctions on Iran Due to Support for the War in Ukraine

The Council of the European Union in Brussels states that member countries have decided to extend current sanctions against Iran for another year. In a statement released on Monday, July 16, the Council cited Iran's support for Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine, armed groups and entities in the Middle East, and the Red Sea region as the reason for this decision. The statement mentioned that the Council had previously requested in early April this year that 'third parties' in the war against Ukraine, such as the Islamic Republic, 'immediately cease their material support' for the war. Following this warning, on May 15, the Council announced that it would intensify sanctions related to the Islamic Republic's drone industries and individuals involved in these industries. In this context, in June and July of this year, the EU added more individuals and entities affiliated with the Islamic Republic to its sanctions list. Ukraine and Western countries accuse Iran of supporting Russia's military aggression against its neighbor by exporting its offensive drones, an accusation that Iran denies. However, Iran's drone and missile attack on Israel on April 14 was another factor prompting the EU's action against Iran, leading the foreign ministers of EU member states to agree on expanding sanctions, an agreement reached on April 23 in Luxembourg. On the other hand, Iran's proxy groups in Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq have carried out attacks against American forces and Israeli territory since the onset of the Gaza war in mid-October last year, and Houthi rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb, posing high risks to navigation in the region. Consequently, some EU countries are pushing for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to be designated as a terrorist organization by this European body. However, EU officials state that they have not yet found a legal basis for such action and are uncertain whether all EU members would support it.