EU discusses new sanctions against Iran for strikes on Israel
Illustrative photo (Getty Images)
The European Union is discussing the imposition of new economic sanctions against Iran over strikes on Israel. Brussels aims to leverage all available diplomatic channels to prevent direct confrontation between the Islamic Republic and Israel, citing the Financial Times.
According to sources familiar with the negotiations, in recent days, EU representatives have engaged in "an enormous amount of contact" with their Iranian counterparts in an attempt to "put guardrails" on the hostilities."
In particular, a conversation took place between EU foreign chief Josep Borrell and Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, during which Tehran was urged "not to escalate further."
An emergency video conference of EU foreign ministers is scheduled for tomorrow, providing Brussels with an opportunity to assess the possibility of imposing sanctions.
Some leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) nations have proposed recognizing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization — a proposal the EU has long deliberated on but has failed to reach a consensus on.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the possibility of imposing sanctions against Iran's "drone and missile programmes" were being considered.
Iran's attack on Israel
On the night of April 14, Iran launched a massive attack on Israel, employing hundreds of drones and missiles. Following the attack, the IDF reported that almost all aerial targets were intercepted, and the damage was minimal.
The attack was in response to Israel's strike on Iran's embassy in Syria, resulting in the deaths of several generals.
For more on the aftermath of Iran's attack on Israel, read RBC-Ukraine's coverage.
