The European Union will on Monday adopt new sanctions against around 30 Iranian officials in response to the crackdown on demonstrations sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini.
“Today we will adopt a new set of sanctions against those responsible for the repression of protesters in Iran,” announced the head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell after a meeting with the Iranian foreign minister the previous day.
“We will approve the sanctions prepared by our services. They are targeting around 30 people,” Luxembourg Minister Jean Asselborn confirmed.
Tehran announced an “appropriate and decisive” response. “We are prepared for this eventuality, but it will be a mistake,” warned Josep Borrell.
The EU last month froze assets and banned the visas of officers from the “Moral” police, the Revolutionary Guards and Iran’s Minister of Information Technology.
The meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels will also discuss Iran’s involvement in the conflict in Ukraine, with the supply of suicide drones to Russia to be used to attack Ukraine’s civilian energy infrastructure.
Last month, the European Union also imposed an asset freeze and visa ban on the Iranian drone maker and three senior military officials over whom the supplies were made.
Some member states are pushing for the EU to expand punitive measures for arms sales to Russia.
A senior EU official said the union is reviewing reports of a possible shipment of ballistic missiles from Iran to Russia and will further sanction Tehran if the weapons are shipped.
Mr. Borrell has previously said he has “no evidence” of the ballistic missile delivery.
The EU is locked in a difficult affair with Tehran as Josep Borrell plays a mediating role in reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
Efforts to get Iran and the United States back on board the deal have largely stalled. “The deal isn’t on track, you know, it’s stalled, but the work continues,” Borrell said.