EU Discusses Possible Iran Sanctions Over Arms Exports to Russia

Stephanie Bodoni, Katharina Rosskopf and Natalia Drozdiak
·2 min read
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(Bloomberg) -- European Union nations began discussing how to react to Russia’s possible use of Iranian drones in its war in Ukraine as the bloc sanctioned Iran’s morality police and other entities over human-rights violations related to the death of a young woman in police custody.

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Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said he addressed a meeting Monday of EU foreign ministers by videoconference from a bomb shelter in Kyiv to ask the bloc to impose new sanctions on Iran for providing drones to Russia.

The EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said that the bloc is currently gathering evidence from intelligence agencies and elsewhere to determine whether Russia is using Iranian drones to launch kamikaze-style attacks on targets in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities.

“We will be ready to act with the tools at our disposal,” Borrell said at a news conference after EU ministers met in Luxembourg.

Ministers said Kuleba was very firm in accusing Russia of using Iranian weaponry, but that additional discussions about specific sanctions or penalties will come when the evidence is clear.

“This morning we also decided that we need to know for sure if military means, including drones, have been provided to Russia by Iran, which are then being used in Ukraine,” Jean Asselborn, Luxembourg’s foreign minister, told reporters. “I think that the probability is quite high that this is the case.”

Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra added: “I said that I would find it reasonable if we’d sanction this, too. We agreed that we’d look for more evidence.”

The discussions over sanctions on Iran come as negotiations stall over a possible deal with the nation to end its nuclear program, potentially complicating any hopes of reviving the talks. EU diplomats have stressed the two issues are separate.

The EU issued new sanctions on Monday targeting 11 Iranians and four entities, including the country’s morality police and its cyber defense command, as well as communications minister Eisa Zarepour. The restrictions include travel and asset freezes.

“It was clear that we can’t have no reaction, that we can’t put our hands in our lap and just continue watching,” Austria’s foreign minister, Alexander Schallenberg said. Protests erupted in Iran on Sept. 16 over the death of Mahsa Amini, who had been arrested for allegedly flouting strict Islamic dress codes.

Read more: Four Die in Fire at Iran Prison Holding Political Detainees

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