Iran: EU members expected to announce additional sanctions on Revolutionary Guards in upcoming meeting

Germany said the foreign ministers of the European Union are expected to agree on imposing additional sanctions targeting Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. The agreement is expected in the bloc’s foreign ministers meeting in Brussels this week.

A spokesperson for the German Foreign Office said Friday last week that the EU foreign ministers are expected to agree on additional sanctions targeting the IRGC in the meeting on Monday. The spokesperson told reporters during a news conference that Berlin’s focus would be on increasing pressure on Iran’s clerical rulers when pressed on whether the sanctions would challenge Germany’s diplomatic efforts to stop Tehran from developing nuclear weapons.

“The focus of our policy currently is increasing pressure on the Iranian regime,” said the spokesperson.

The comments by the ministry follow the call by the European Parliament to designate the Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organization the day before. The EU lawmakers adopted the resolution to make such a designation, calling for more sanctions on all Iranian individuals and entities responsible for the Islamic Republic’s human rights violations, including alleged support to Russia by providing it with drones to use in Ukraine.

The resolution was in light of the ongoing protests across Iran following the death of Kurdish Iranian Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police. Amini died days after getting arrested for allegedly flouting Iran’s Islamic dress code on women. In a statement, the European Parliament said authorities must be sanctioned, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Ebrahim Raisi.

“The Iranian regime’s blatant disregard for human dignity and the democratic aspirations of its own citizens as well as its support for Russia necessitate further adjustments in the EU’s position towards Iran,” said the resolution.

By Monday, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borell said the bloc cannot designate the IRGC as a terrorist group until after an EU court has ruled to determine that the group is such. The bloc’s foreign ministers are expected to add 37 more individuals and entities that would be subject to sanctions.

“It is something that cannot be decided without a court, a court decision first. You cannot say I consider you a terrorist because I don’t like you,” Borrell told reporters upon arriving in Brussels for the meeting.