EU sanctions Iran for human rights abuses and support to Russia’s war

The European Union has significantly escalated its punitive measures against Iran, adopting a sweeping new package of sanctions that targets the country for both internal repression and its external military support for Russia. The sanctions, approved by the European Council on Thursday, consist of two parallel sets of restrictive measures addressing Tehran’s human rights record and its role in bolstering Moscow’s war effort.

Sanctions for "Violent Repression" of Domestic Protests

The EU imposed restrictive measures on an additional 15 individuals and six entities for what it described as "serious human rights violations" during the violent crackdown on peaceful protests. The list includes several high-profile government figures. Notably sanctioned are Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni, who also heads the National Security Council, Prosecutor General Mohammad Movahedi-Azad, and presiding judge Iman Afshari. The listings also cover commanders from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and senior officers of the police and Law Enforcement Force. The sanctioned entities include state media regulators and cyber organizations accused of censorship and internet control. With this expansion, the EU’s human rights sanctions regime on Iran now applies to 247 individuals and 50 entities.

Penalties for Military Support to Russia’s War in Ukraine

In a separate but simultaneous move, the EU imposed sanctions under its dedicated regime targeting Iran’s support for Russia’s war. These measures focus on four individuals and six entities involved in Iran’s unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and ballistic missile programs. Key targets include "Khojir Missile Development and Production," identified as a leading entity in Iran's ballistic missile program, and "Sahara Thunder," an import-export company that acts as a front for the Iranian Ministry of Defense. This action directly aims to disrupt the supply of Iranian-made drones, which have been extensively used by Russian forces to attack Ukrainian cities and infrastructure, representing a critical element of military cooperation between Tehran and Moscow.

Context of a Broader EU Crackdown and Terrorist Designation

The new sanctions package arrives as the EU signals a major hardening of its overall policy towards Tehran. The same day, EU foreign ministers agreed in principle to designate the entire Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization, a highly symbolic political step championed by several member states. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stated that such "repression cannot go unanswered," framing the sanctions and the terrorist label as necessary responses. These coordinated actions reflect a European consensus to employ all available economic and diplomatic instruments to pressure Iran over its domestic conduct and its destabilizing activities abroad, marking one of the most comprehensive Western responses to date.