On Monday, November 18, both the European Union and the United Kingdom announced new sanctions against Iran in response to its support for Russia’s military operations in Ukraine. The sanctions target Iranian shipping and ports to disrupt the flow of drones, missiles, and related technologies to Russia.
The EU’s new measures include a ban on supplying components to Iran used in missile and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) production. It also restricts transactions with Iranian ports linked to sanctioned entities, such as the Amirabad and Anzali ports on the Caspian Sea, which have been associated with arms shipments to Russia.
“These sanctions block access to port facilities and prohibit the provision of services to ships, except for distress situations under maritime safety exemptions,” the EU stated in a meeting of its foreign ministers in Brussels.
The sanctions also apply to Iran’s state-owned shipping company IRISL, its director Mohammad Reza Khiabani, and three Russian firms accused of transporting weapons across the Caspian Sea. Previously, the EU had sanctioned Iranian airlines and officials involved in supporting Russia’s war efforts.
Meanwhile, the UK imposed its own sanctions, freezing the assets of IRISL and Iran Air for allegedly transporting ballistic missiles and military goods to Russia. The UK also banned the Russian cargo ship Port Olya-3, accused of ferrying missiles, from entering UK ports. The British Foreign Ministry stated that these measures build on previous actions taken by the UK, France, and Germany, collectively known as the E3 powers, in response to Iran’s role in supplying short-range missiles to Russia.
Iran has rejected these claims, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemning the sanctions as “baseless” and “shortsighted.” Araghchi warned of potential backlash, stating on X (formerly Twitter) that selective application of maritime law could backfire.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baghaei, said Tehran would consider its response to the new sanctions, which add further pressure on Iran’s struggling economy. Since the US pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal in 2018, Iran has faced severe economic sanctions.
The latest round of sanctions underscores increasing Western efforts to limit Iran’s involvement in supplying military technology to Russia—an allegation Tehran strongly denies.