EU prepares sanctions on Iran over missile supply to Russia

The European Union is advancing plans for a new round of sanctions against Iran in response to its provision of ballistic missiles to Russia, according to sources familiar with the discussions.

This first wave of sanctions is expected to target approximately a dozen individuals and entities connected to sectors such as engineering, metals, and aviation, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

EU officials aim to finalize these measures before the upcoming EU leaders’ summit in Brussels later this month, insiders have revealed.

US and European assessments indicate that Iran delivered ballistic missiles to Russia in recent weeks. This development has already triggered initial penalties from the United States, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. In addition to these missiles, Iran has supplied Moscow with hundreds of attack drones and various other weapons throughout Russia's 2.5-year-long conflict with Ukraine. The transfer of ballistic missiles, however, marks a significant escalation in Tehran's involvement. Iran, however, continues to deny that it has sent such missiles to Russia.

Last week, Ukrainian armed forces claimed they had destroyed a weapons stockpile in Russia, which included a cache of Iranian missiles.

The EU's sanctions package would represent an initial response to the missile transfers, and additional measures are currently under consideration, according to sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the discussions.

For these sanctions to proceed, unanimous approval from all EU member states is required, and the plans could still change as the bloc works to secure this consensus.

In a separate development, the United States has indicated its intention to sanction Iran for its involvement in the recent attack on Israel and has called on its allies to adopt similar measures, according to another source.

By Tamilla Hasanova