The sanctions imposed by the EU and UK on individuals and the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) are “unjustifiable, inconsistent with international law, and in violation of the EU and UK’s commitments under the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action),” Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said in a presser in Tehran, referring to a nuclear deal between Iran and the West which was scrapped by then US President Donald Trump in 2018.
Baghaei said Western allegations about Tehran’s support for Russia in its war against Ukraine are “completely unjustifiable and lack legitimacy or any legal or rational basis.”
The European Council on Monday announced widening the scope of its sanctions against Iran for supporting Russia in the war against Ukraine, and armed groups in the Middle East. Hours later, the United Kingdom announced sanctions against Iran Air and the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines for transporting ballistic missiles and other military supplies to Russia
The Iranian spokesperson noted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky “acknowledged that no Iranian ballistic missiles had been delivered to Russia,” according to IRNA.
“Freedom of navigation and maritime trade are fundamental principles of international maritime law,” Baghaei said.
Iran’s foreign ministry held a meeting on Tuesday to review the latest sanctions imposed by both the EU and the UK.
“Appropriate measures were taken, the details of which will be announced later,” Majid Nili Ahmadabadi, the Iranian foreign ministry’s director general for Western Europe told state media IRNA on Tuesday.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on X on Sunday, before the sanctions were announced, that the EU was using the “non-existent missile pretext” to target its shipping lines.
This is the second wave of sanctions against Iran in the past month.
Last month, the UK announced sanctions on senior Iranian military figures and organizations “for their role in attempting to destabilize the Middle East.”
