The Council of the European Union on Thursday imposed sanctions on 15 additional individuals and six entities responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran. The measures respond to the violent suppression of peaceful protests, including the use of force, arbitrary detention, and systematic intimidation by security forces against demonstrators.
The EU specifically targeted Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni, head of the National Security Council, as well as members of the judiciary, including Mohammad Movahedi-Azad, Attorney General, and Iman Afshari, presiding judge. Sanctions also cover certain commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and senior officials of the police and Law Enforcement Forces (LEF), all implicated in violent crackdowns on protests and the arbitrary detention of political activists and human rights defenders.
Human rights violations
The newly listed entities include the Iranian Audiovisual Regulatory Authority (SATRA), the Seraj Cyberspace Organisation, the Working Group for Determining Criminal Content (WGDICC), and several software companies. These organisations have been involved in censorship, social media trolling campaigns, spreading misinformation online, and contributing to widespread internet disruptions through the development of surveillance and control tools.
EU restrictive measures linked to human rights violations in Iran now apply to a total of 247 individuals and 50 entities. The sanctions include asset freezes, travel bans to the EU, and prohibitions on providing funds or economic resources to those listed. An export ban also applies to equipment that could be used for internal repression, including telecommunications monitoring equipment.
Iran's support for Russia
In addition, in relation to Iran’s support for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the Council imposed restrictive measures on four individuals and six entities under the EU’s dedicated sanctions regime. This includes a focus on Iran’s state-funded programme for the development and production of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
The new listings include Khojir Missile Development and Production, a leading entity in Iran’s ballistic missile programme, and Sahara Thunder, an Iranian import-export company operating as a front for Iran’s Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics. Sanctions also target private companies supplying critical components to the IRGC or linked to entities involved in Iran’s missile programme.
Individuals sanctioned under this regime include entrepreneurs, chief executives, and shareholders of private companies involved in the development and production of Iranian ballistic missiles and UAVs. These latest measures bring the total number of individuals sanctioned under this regime to 24 and the total number of entities to 26. The sanctions framework was last extended until 27 July 2026.
The Council also decided to expand the EU’s export ban to Iran, covering additional components and technologies used in the development and production of UAVs and missiles. This applies to specialised materials and equipment, including energy materials and mixtures, material processing, electronics, computing, telecommunications, information security, sensors and lasers, navigation and avionics, aerospace and propulsion, as well as technology specifically designed or adapted for the testing, development, or production of drones and missiles.