BRUSSELS: The EU on Monday hit more than 30 senior Iranian officials and organizations with sanctions over the crackdown on protesters and supply of drones to Russia.
The bloc targeted Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi and the head of Iran’s ground forces Kiyumars Heidari among those it said were responsible for the repression of demonstrations after the death of Mahsa Amini.
Four members of the squad who detained Amini were also put on the blacklist.
Among the organizations hit was state broadcaster Press TV, which was accused of of airing “forced confessions of detainees.”
“The EU strongly condemns the unacceptable violent crackdown of protesters,” EU chief Josep Borrell said in a statement.
“We stand with the Iranian people and support their right to protest peacefully and voice their demands and views freely.”
Tehran has warned of a “proportionate and firm” response to the EU over the expanded sanctions.
Last month the EU hit Iran’s “morality” police, Revolutionary Guard and IT minister in a first wave of sanctions over the crackdown.
The EU ministers meeting in Brussels also signed off on adding the head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps Hossein Salami to a blacklist over supplies of Iranian drones to Russia for use in Ukraine.
The bloc in addition included the head of the Guard’s airforce Amir Ali Hajjizadeh and the Qods drone maker.
The EU last month already slapped asset freezes and visa bans on another Iranian drone maker and three top military officials over deliveries of kamikaze drones used to strike Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
A senior EU official said the bloc was probing reports over the possible delivery of ballistic missiles by Iran to Russia and would sanction Tehran further if it sent the arms.
Borrell said so far that Brussels had “no evidence” over the supplies of ballistic missiles.
Brussels has faced a tricky balancing act over its response to Tehran as the EU is mediating a push to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
Those efforts to get Iran and the United States back onboard with the agreement have largely stalled.
“It is not in a good track, you know, stalemate, but the work continues,” Borrell said.
EU expands Iran sanctions over crackdown, Russia drones
https://arab.news/86ndg
EU expands Iran sanctions over crackdown, Russia drones
- Four members of the squad who detained Amini were also put on the blacklist
- The bloc in addition included the head of the Guard’s airforce Amir Ali Hajjizadeh and the Qods drone maker
Spain highlights importance of Gaza reconstruction
- Spain officially recognized Palestine as a state in May 2024, in a coordinated move alongside Ireland and Norway
RAMALLAH: The Palestinian prime minister, Mohammed Mustafa, and the Spanish foreign minister, Jose Manuel Albares, on Friday discussed the latest developments in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
During their telephone conversation they emphasized the need to intensify international efforts to end the Israeli occupation and halt attacks and settler violence, and to secure the release of Palestinian funds held by Israeli authorities.
They affirmed the importance of ongoing efforts relating to plans for the reconstruction of Gaza, and Europe’s significant role in this process. Mustafa and Albares highlighted the need to unify Palestinian institutions in Gaza with those in the West Bank, with the aim of establishing a Palestinian state in line with international resolutions, including last year’s New York Declaration.
They also discussed coordination between their countries, and the strengthening of Spain’s political, diplomatic and financial support for Palestine, and Mustafa thanked Spain for its ongoing support.
Spain officially recognized Palestine as a state in May 2024, in a coordinated move alongside Ireland and Norway. Estephan Salameh, the Palestinian finance and planning minister, is set to visit Spain this month to discuss enhanced cooperation, particularly in the areas of development and reconstruction. Meanwhile, Israel continues operating in the occupied West Bank.
The Palestinian Prisoners media office said on Friday that Israel carried out numerous raids across the territory, including the major cities of Ramallah and Hebron, according to The Associated Press.
Nearly 50 people were detained, following the arrest of at least 50 other Palestinians on Thursday, most of those in the Ramallah area.
As 2026 begins, the shaky 12-week-old ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has largely ended large-scale Israeli bombardment of Gaza.
But Palestinians are still being killed by Israeli fire, especially along the so-called Yellow Line that delineates areas under Israeli control, and the humanitarian crisis is compounded by frequent winter rains and colder temperatures.
On Friday, American actor and film producer Angelina Jolie visited the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip.
The only crossing between the territory and a country other than Israel, it remains closed despite Palestinian requests to reopen it to people and aid.
Jolie met with members of the Red Crescent on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing and then visited a hospital in the nearby city of Arish to speak with Palestinian patients on Friday, according to Egyptian officials.
Aid groups say not enough shelter materials are getting into Gaza during the truce.
