Iran’s Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, condemned the European Union’s recent decision to broaden sanctions against Iran, denouncing them as “unlawful.” The EU’s move came after Iran’s drone and missile strike on Israel, which Iran claims was a defensive response to a suspected Israeli attack on its consulate in Damascus.
Amir-Abdollahian expressed disappointment with the EU’s swift decision to impose additional sanctions on Iran, citing Iran’s right to self-defense against Israel’s alleged aggression. He urged the EU to reconsider its sanctions approach and instead target penalties against Israel.
These sanctions target Iran’s involvement in supplying drones to Russia, used in the Ukraine conflict. EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, mentioned that the sanctions would extend to other regions, addressing weapon deliveries to various proxies. However, the EU has not formally designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization due to legal constraints, despite previous support from the European Parliament for such a designation.
The attack on Israel involved over 350 drones and missiles, heightening tensions in the region. The EU foreign ministers met and agreed preliminarily to broaden sanctions, particularly focusing on Iran’s weapon exports to proxies and Russia. The finalization and implementation of these expanded sanctions will require further legal deliberations in Brussels.
