The EU imposes new sanctions on 19 Iranian officials and entities for serious human rights violations during Tehran’s deadly crackdown on mass protests.
BRUSSELS: The European Union has approved new sanctions targeting 19 Iranian officials and entities.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced the measures, citing “serious human rights violations” during Tehran’s deadly crackdown on mass protests.
“As the Iran war continues, the EU will protect its interests and pursue those responsible for domestic repression,” Kallas said.
She added that the sanctions “send a message to Tehran that Iran’s future cannot be built on repression.”
The sanctions are a response to a nationwide crackdown on anti-government protests in January.
The Middle Eastern country’s security forces responded fiercely, leaving thousands of people dead.
Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was not among those targeted by the new EU measures.
Mojtaba Khamenei was named supreme leader after his father, Ali Khamenei, was killed in an airstrike.
The strike occurred at the start of a joint US-Israeli bombing campaign that began on February 28.
The EU has maintained sanctions over human rights violations in Iran since 2011.
These measures include travel bans and asset freezes for those targeted.