The European Union has imposed additional sanctions on Iran in response to the near-total blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
The measures target the Hormozgan Provincial Command of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) as well as the deputy commander acting as a spokesperson for the IRGCN, Mohammad Akbarzadeh, a press release published on Monday said.
In addition, Hamid Hosseini, a representative of Iran’s Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Products Exporters’ Union, has been slapped with sanctions.
The Hormuzgan Provincial Command of the IRGCN "screens vessels and determines which ones are allowed to transit through the Strait, sometimes subject to the payment of a toll," according to an EU statement.
The command "therefore implements Iran’s actions or policies undermining the freedom of navigation in the Middle East," it said.
"Akbarzadeh threatens to use missiles or drones against vessels transiting the strait," the EU said.
Hosseini was sanctioned for promoting Iran's "policy of submitting, undergoing assessment, and paying transit fees to Iranian authorities for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz."
The sanctions decision requires that assets be frozen within the EU. Individuals are also subject to an EU entry and transit ban. The IRGCN was already subject to EU sanctions before Monday's decision.
The decision came shortly after Israel and Iran exchanged fire for the first time in several weeks.
"A return to full-scale war would come at tremendous cost to the entire region. All sides must come back to the negotiation table," EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas said.
