The European Union (EU) expanded its sanctions against Iran on Monday, targeting vessels and ports involved in transferring drones and missiles to Russia. The move, mirrored by fresh sanctions from the UK, comes amid Tehran’s alleged support for Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
The 27-member bloc prohibited the export, transfer, and supply of components from the EU to Iran that could be used to manufacture missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). It also banned transactions with Iranian ports tied to sanctioned individuals or entities, including the Caspian Sea ports of Amirabad and Anzali, which are allegedly used to supply Russia with military technology.
“This measure includes denying access to facilities such as ports and locks and restricting services to vessels connected to these entities,” the EU said in a statement after foreign ministers met in Brussels. Exceptions will apply to vessels in need for safety reasons.
The EU also sanctioned Iran’s state-owned shipping company, IRISL, its director Mohammad Reza Khiabani, and three Russian shipping companies accused of transporting weapons across the Caspian Sea.
In parallel, the UK froze the assets of IRISL and national carrier Iran Air, accusing them of transporting ballistic missiles and military supplies to Russia. The British government also barred the Russian cargo vessel Port Olya-3, reportedly used to ferry Iranian missiles, from entering UK ports.
“Iran’s provision of drones and missiles to Russia is aiding Moscow’s brutal war in Ukraine,” UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said in a statement, adding that the measures were necessary to hold Iran accountable.
Iran has repeatedly denied supplying Russia with drones or missiles for use in Ukraine. In response to the EU sanctions, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the move, calling it baseless. “The EU is using the non-existent missile pretext to target Iran’s shipping lines,” he said on X (formerly Twitter).
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baghaei, criticized the sanctions as illegal and hinted at possible countermeasures.
These new sanctions add to the mounting international pressure on Iran, whose economy is already struggling under extensive U.S. sanctions since Washington’s withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal.
The EU and UK measures build on earlier sanctions by the E3—France, Germany, and the UK—over Tehran’s alleged supply of short-range missiles to Russia, a claim Iran continues to reject.
