The EU Council today decided to impose restrictive measures related to serious human rights violations in Iran and Iran's continued military support for Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, UNN reports with reference to the EU Council's statement.
Human rights violations in Iran
The EU Council today decided to impose restrictive measures on 15 more individuals and six entities responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran, following the brutal crackdown on peaceful protests, including the use of violence, arbitrary detentions, and intimidation tactics by security forces against demonstrators, the statement said.
The EU, in particular, is imposing restrictive measures against Eskandar Momeni, Iran's Interior Minister and head of the National Security Council, and members of Iran's judiciary, including Prosecutor General Mohammad Movahedi-Azad and presiding judge Iman Afshari. In addition, today's lists cover a number of IRGC commanders and high-ranking police and law enforcement (LEF) officers. All of them were involved in the brutal suppression of peaceful protests and arbitrary arrests of political activists and human rights defenders.
Among the organizations listed today are, among others, the Iranian Audiovisual Media Regulatory Authority (SATRA), the Seraj Cyberspace Organization, the Working Group for the Identification of Criminal Content (WGDICC), and several software companies.
These organizations have been involved in censorship, social media trolling campaigns, the dissemination of disinformation and misinformation online, or have facilitated widespread disruption of internet access through the development of surveillance and repression tools.
Restrictive measures related to human rights violations in Iran now apply to 247 individuals and 50 entities. They consist of asset freezes, a ban on travel to the EU, and a ban on making funds or economic resources available to listed individuals. There is also a ban on the export to Iran of equipment that could be used for internal repression, including telecommunications monitoring equipment.
The EU expresses its solidarity with the Iranian people, who are expressing their legitimate aspirations for freedom and dignity, and for a future where their universal human rights and fundamental freedoms are respected, protected and exercised.
Iran's support for Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine
The EU Council's statement also noted that Iran's military support for Russia's war of aggression continues to pose a direct threat to EU security. Today, the Council also imposed restrictive measures on four individuals and six entities under the EU's special sanctions regime, with a particular focus on Iran's state-run unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) development and production program.
Today's list includes Khojir Missile Development and Production, a leading entity in Iran's ballistic missile program, and Sahara Thunder, an Iranian import and export company that acts as a front company for Iran's Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics. The Council is also sanctioning other private companies that supply critical components to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) or have ties to entities involved in Iran's missile program.
According to the EU Council, among the individuals listed today are businessmen, CEOs, and shareholders of private companies involved in the development and production of Iran's ballistic missiles, and thus involved in Iran's missile or unmanned aerial vehicle program.
Today's decision increases the total number of individuals sanctioned under this regime to 24 individuals and 26 entities. The sanctions regime was last extended until July 27, 2026.
In addition, the EU Council decided to extend the ban on the export, sale, transfer, or supply from the EU to Iran to include additional components and technologies used in the development and production of unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles. This includes special materials and related equipment, including energetic materials and their mixtures, material processing, electronics, computers, telecommunications and information security, sensors and lasers, navigation and avionics, aerospace and propulsion systems, and technologies developed or specifically adapted for the testing, development, or production of unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles.
The relevant legal acts have been published in the Official Journal of the European Union.
How Ukraine reacted
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha welcomed the decision of the EU Foreign Affairs Council to strengthen sanctions against Iran for egregious human rights violations and military support for Russian aggression.
Constant sanctions pressure is a vital tool for deterring aggression and upholding international law. Ukraine highly appreciates the EU's leadership and expects an even tougher 20th package of sanctions against Russia
Recall
As Reuters reported, EU foreign ministers on Thursday approved new sanctions against Iran, targeting individuals and organizations involved in the brutal crackdown on protesters and the country's support for Russia.