EU preparing new sanctions against Iran over alleged military support to Russia German FM says

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has announced that the European Union is preparing new sanctions against Iran in response to its alleged military support for Russia in the ongoing Ukraine conflict.  

Additionally, Baerbock issued a warning to China over its potential support for Moscow, stating that there would be consequences if Beijing were found to be aiding Russia, Caliber.Az reports citing Russian media.

Speaking upon her arrival at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, Baerbock emphasized that the conflict in Ukraine directly impacts the key security interests of European countries. She underlined the need to make this clear not only to Russia but also to its allies.

“In this regard, we are preparing new sanctions against Iran, and we are also addressing the issue of Chinese drone aid, as both actions should and will have consequences,” Baerbock stated.

The EU has previously imposed several rounds of sanctions on Iran, accusing the Islamic Republic of supporting Russia's military efforts. The EU has regularly expanded its list of sanctioned individuals and entities in response to these alleged ties. Both Russian and Iranian officials have consistently denied the accusations of military support.

Baerbock’s comments came shortly after reports from the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung revealed that the EU is also considering sanctions against China. According to the newspaper, the EU is acting on intelligence that suggests China may be supplying weapons to Russia for use in the Ukrainian conflict. Outgoing EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, reportedly briefed EU member states on the intelligence findings ahead of the foreign ministers' meeting.

Spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in the US Liu Pengyu earlier said that the United States was "spreading misinformation" by claiming that China provides military support to Russia. He stated that Beijing "has never supplied weapons to any party in the Ukraine conflict" and emphasized that economic and trade cooperation between China and Russia "is not aimed at any third party."

By Vafa Guliyeva