“The EU will now be able to introduce further restrictive measures in response to Iran’s actions undermining the freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz,” the Council said in a statement quoted by Aljazeera.
The European Union has moved to expand its sanctions regime against Iran, paving the way for punitive measures over Tehran’s alleged role in threatening freedom of navigation in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
In a statement issued on Friday, the European Council announced that it had amended its existing sanctions framework — initially created in response to Iran’s support for Russia’s war in Ukraine — to also target actions linked to maritime disruptions in the Gulf region.
“The EU will now be able to introduce further restrictive measures in response to Iran’s actions undermining the freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz,” the Council said in a statement quoted by Aljazeera.
Under the revised framework, the bloc could impose travel bans and asset freezes on individuals and entities accused of facilitating activities deemed to threaten safe passage through the narrow waterway, one of the world’s most important oil shipping routes.
