EU imposes new sanctions on Iran over its military support for Russia

BRUSSELS, Jan 29 (KUNA) -- The Council of the European Union imposed Thursday new restrictive measures on Iran over its military support for Russia in its war against Ukraine, in addition to Iranian officials's alleged involvement in serious human rights violations.
In a press release, the Council said that this step comes in response to what it called a "direct threat to the security of the European Union" resulting from Iranآ’s military support for Russia, particularly in the development and production of drones and missiles.
Regarding Iranآ’s military support for Russia, the Council announced the imposition of sanctions on four individuals and six entities under the EUآ’s dedicated sanctions regime, with a focus on the Iranian state-sponsored programme for the development and production of unmanned aerial vehicles.
The sanctions include Khojir Missile Development and Production, one of the leading entities in Iranآ’s ballistic missile programme, as well as Sahara Thunder trading company.
The list of sanctioned individuals includes businessmen, chief executive officers and shareholders of private companies involved in the development and production of Iranian missiles and drones.
Separately, the Council said it had decided to impose sanctions on an additional 15 individuals and six entities responsible for what it described as "serious human rights violations" in Iran, following the repression of protests by security forces against demonstrators.
The sanctions list includes Iranآ’s Minister of the Interior and Head of the Supreme National Security Council Eskandar Momeni, in addition to a number of senior officials in the judiciary, including Prosecutor General Mohammad Movahedi-Azad and Judge Iman Afshari, as well as several commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and senior police and law enforcement officers. (end) arn.mt