The European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK) have imposed new sanctions on several Iranian entities and individuals, including the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL).
EU said the sanctions are a response to Iran’s human rights abuses, nuclear proliferation activities and military support for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. “The EU has repeatedly condemned serious human rights violations in Iran, including the death in police custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini on 16 September 2022, and the following violent repression by the Iranian authorities of peaceful protests, which led to the loss of hundreds of lives,” stated the union in a statement.
“Iran’s attempts to undermine global security are dangerous and unacceptable,” pointed out British foreign secretary David Lammy.
On the other side, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei has strongly condemned the new sanctions, saying they are unjustified and in violation of international law as well as the EU and UK’s commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear accord. The spokesperson said that the claims of ballistic missile transfers from Iran to Russia are baseless.
Baghaei noted that the EU and UK sanctions affect the fundamental human rights of Iranians, are a clear example of systematic human rights violations, and hold the originators and imposers of such sanctions internationally accountable.
