EU sanctions Iran officials and entity over Strait of Hormuz disruptions

|By Adejumo Adekunle – The EU sanctions Iran officials and entity over Strait of Hormuz disruptions, accusing them of interfering with maritime traffic and threatening freedom of navigation in one of the world’s busiest shipping routes.

The European Union approved new restrictive measures against two Iranian individuals and one organisation. Officials said the sanctions target those linked to actions that obstruct lawful passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

The measures affect the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy’s Hormozgan Provincial Command, which oversees vessel screening in the strategic waterway. The EU also sanctioned Mohammad Akbarzadeh, the navy’s deputy commander for political affairs, accusing him of threatening ships with missile and drone attacks.

In addition, the bloc listed Hamid Hosseini, a member of Iran’s Chamber of Commerce and representative of the Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Products Exporters’ Union. The EU said he supported policies that encouraged ships to pay fees to Iranian authorities for safe passage.

According to the EU, such actions violate international law and undermine the rights of transit and innocent passage through international straits.

Meanwhile, the sanctions framework was expanded in May to cover activities threatening navigation in the Middle East, alongside Iran’s military support for regional armed groups and Russia’s war in Ukraine.

As a result, the latest decision raises the number of sanctioned individuals and organisations under the framework to 53. Those listed face asset freezes, while individuals are also banned from travelling to EU member states.

The EU sanctions Iran officials and entity over Strait of Hormuz disruptions as tensions over regional security and maritime trade continue to grow.