Overview
- EU ambassadors approved a new sanctions package targeting Iranian officials and entities with asset freezes, visa bans and export controls on drone and missile components.
- France announced it will support adding Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to the EU terrorist list, shifting the bloc toward political approval of the designation.
- EU foreign ministers are expected to rubber-stamp the sanctions on January 29, though any IRGC listing must still meet legal criteria and win unanimous backing.
- The human-rights measures name Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni, Prosecutor-General Mohammad Movahedi-Azad, regional IRGC commanders and censorship bodies including SATRA and the WGDICC, citing roles in the deadly protest crackdown and internet blackout.
- A separate tranche targets support for Russia’s war with penalties on four individuals and six entities, including Sahara Thunder and the Khojir Missile Development and Production Complex, as Iran warns of ‘destructive consequences’ and summons Italy’s ambassador.