EU plans to impose new sanctions on Iran over drone supplies to Russia
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Alaina
- . October 20, 2022
- . Update: November 11, 2022 1:29 am
The European Union (EU) has planned to impose new sanctions on the Islamic Republic of Iran over the use of Iranian-made drones in Russian strikes on Ukraine.
Four diplomats and a French official said on Wednesday that the European Union governments have agreed to impose new sanctions on Iranian generals and entities over drone supplies to Russia.
A French presidential official said that the 27 EU members agreed to impose sanctions on three senior Iranian military commanders and the manufacturer of the Shahed drones. Two diplomats said Shahed Aviation Industries, which produces the drones, would be listed in the list of sanctions. Reportedly, the EU can impose sanctions on the chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces, Maj Gen Mohammad Hossein Bagheri.
Earlier, Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Commission, condemned Russia’s strikes on energy infrastructure in Ukraine. Ursula termed the attack as “acts of pure terror” that amounted to war crimes.
Read | Ukraine wants to cut diplomatic ties with Iran after drone attacks
Recently, Kyiv accused Moscow of using Iranian-origin drones against civilian targets. Ukrainian officials said that “kamikaze” drones that targeted Kyiv on Monday killed at least four people. They claimed that Russia has attacked Ukrainian cities using Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones in recent weeks. However, Iran denied supplying drones to Russia.
Lithuania’s foreign minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis, wrote on Twitter, “If Iran walks like a duck, talks like a duck and admits to supplying drones to the biggest duck in the world then I think we have enough evidence to say that Iran is a duck.”
Earlier, the EU imposed sanctions on 11 Iranian officials and four entities over their alleged role in the violent crackdown on peaceful protesters.
Protests took place in Iran after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody. People took to the streets, demanding the fall of the Iranian regime and the government.
