EU statement on the reimposition of sanctions against Iran
The statement, published on the EU website, reads: “Today, the Council of the European Union agreed to reimpose a set of restrictive measures related to Iran’s nuclear proliferation activities that had been suspended under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2015. This decision follows the reinstatement of UN sanctions, in line with the UN Security Council’s decision not to extend the suspension of sanctions against Iran.”
According to the EU statement, the measures reimposed today include sanctions that were adopted since 2006 through successive UN Security Council resolutions and automatically incorporated into EU law, as well as independent EU measures.
The statement notes that these sanctions encompass:
- Travel bans for specific individuals,
- Asset freezes for listed individuals and entities,
- Prohibitions on providing funds or economic resources to listed individuals and entities,
- Economic and financial restrictions covering trade, financial services, and transportation sectors.
Additionally, the statement specifies new measures beyond the existing arms export ban and prohibitions on transferring items, materials, goods, and technology that could aid Iran’s enrichment, reprocessing, or ballistic missile programs. These include:
1. A ban on importing, purchasing, and transporting crude oil, natural gas, petrochemical products, petroleum derivatives from Iran, and related services.
2. A ban on selling or supplying key equipment used in the energy sector.
3. A ban on selling or supplying gold, precious metals, and diamonds.
4. Restrictions on the sale of certain maritime equipment.
5. A ban on selling certain software.
In the financial sector, the EU has frozen the assets of Iran’s Central Bank and major commercial banks. It has also implemented measures preventing Iranian cargo flights from accessing European airports and prohibiting maintenance services for Iranian cargo planes or ships carrying prohibited data-x-items or goods.