(cache)EU sanctions against Iran

Repression and human rights violations in Iran

In 2011, the EU introduced a sanctions regime against Iran in response to serious human rights violations in the country. The restrictive measures have been renewed annually since then and were last extended until 13 April 2025.

Since October 2022, in view of the deteriorating human rights situation in the country, the EU has drastically increased restrictive measures, adopting 10 packages of sanctions.

Why sanctions?

The EU has repeatedly condemned serious human rights violations in Iran, including the death in police custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini on 16 September 2022, and the following violent repression by the Iranian authorities of peaceful protests, which led to the loss of hundreds of lives.

As outlined in the Council conclusions on Iran of December 2022, the EU supports the fundamental aspirations of the people of Iran for a future where their universal human rights and fundamental freedoms are respected, protected and fulfilled.

The European Union strongly condemns:

the widespread, brutal and disproportionate use of force by the Iranian authorities against peaceful protesters
arbitrary detentions as a means of silencing critical voices
the use of torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of detainees in Iranian prisons
the practice of imposing and carrying out death sentences against protesters
restrictions on communications, including internet shutdowns

The right to peaceful assembly and the right to freedom of expression, including the freedom to seek, receive and share information and ideas, online and offline, must be ensured.

The EU calls on Iran to eliminate, in law and in practice, all forms of systemic discrimination against women and girls in public and private life and to take gender-responsive measures to prevent sexual and gender-based violence in all its forms against women and girls and to ensure protection against such violence.

The EU urges the Iranian authorities to uphold their obligations under international law and demands that the perpetrators of violence and human rights violations be held accountable.

What are the sanctions?

Restrictive measures relating to human rights violations in Iran include:

travel bans for individuals
an asset freeze for individuals and entities
a prohibition on making funds or economic resources available to those listed
a ban on selling, supplying, transferring or exporting to Iran equipment that might be used for internal repression
a ban on providing technical assistance, brokering services or financing to any person or body in Iran or for use in Iran (if they could be used in relation to internal repression)
a ban on providing any telecommunications or internet monitoring or interception services to Iran

Image of traditional Iranian tiles and a girl with the arm up as a form of protest.

Individuals sanctioned include:

members of the Iranian parliament
the Minister of the Interior, Ahmad Vahidi
the Minister of information and Communications Technology, Issa Zarepour
governors and local politicians
members of the Iranian security forces
members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)
members of the Iranian Law Enforcement Forces (LEF)
the squad that arbitrarily arrested Mahsa Amini
high-ranking officials and military personnel
commanders and other members of the police
prison wardens and directors
members of the judiciary
members of the Supreme Council of Cyberspace

Entities sanctioned include:

the Iranian Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance
the Iranian Ministry of Education
Iran’s Morality Police
the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)
the Law Enforcement Forces (LEF)
the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution
the Supreme Council of Cyberspace
prisons
the state television broadcaster ‘Press TV’
news agencies
mobile service providers

Iran's drones and missiles

Why sanctions?

The European Union strongly condemns and considers unacceptable any type of military support provided by Iran, including deliveries of unmanned aerial vehicles (also known as drones), for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.

The EU also condemns the Iranian drone and missile attacks against Israel on 13 April 2024, and Iran’s military support for armed groups in the Middle East and Red Sea region.

What are the sanctions?

The Council imposed three rounds of drone-related sanctions against Iranian individuals or entities in 2022 and 2023, under the sanctions regime applicable to actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.

On 20 July 2023, the Council decided to establish a dedicated framework for sanctions in view of Iran's military support for Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.

On 14 May 2024, the Council decided to broaden the scope of the sanctions regime in view of Iran’s military support for armed groups in the Middle East and Red Sea region and of the drone and missile attacks Iran carried out against Israel in April 2024.

The EU can target individuals and entities supplying, selling or otherwise involved in transferring Iran’s missiles and drones:

in support of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine
used by armed groups and entities to undermine peace and security in the Middle-East and the Red Sea region
in breach of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2216 (2015)

Restrictive measures include:

travel bans for individuals
an asset freeze for individuals and entities
a prohibition on making funds or economic resources available to those listed

The regime applies to six individuals and five entities and was last extended until 27 July 2024.

Iran's nuclear proliferation activities

Why sanctions?

In the Council conclusions of 22 December 2022, the European Union reiterated its clear determination that Iran must never develop or acquire a nuclear weapon, and recalls Iran’s commitments in that respect and its international obligations.

The European Union is deeply concerned by the successive reports of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) documenting the alarming acceleration of Iran’s nuclear programme that gravely departs from its Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) commitments, in particular with regard to the expansion of its nuclear enrichment capacity and production of highly enriched uranium.

Iran’s actions, which have no credible civilian justification, carry very significant proliferation-related risks.

The European Union strongly urges Iran to reverse its alarming nuclear trajectory, to return to its political commitments in the field of nuclear non-proliferation without further delay, and to resume all JCPoA-related monitoring and verification measures, including its Additional Protocol.

What are the sanctions?

UN sanctions

Since 2006, the UN Security Council has adopted a number of resolutions requiring Iran to stop enriching uranium for the purpose of nuclear proliferation. These resolutions have been progressively accompanied by restrictive measures to persuade Iran to comply.

The EU implements UN sanctions through the adoption of EU legislation.

UN Security Council resolutions on Iran

EU sanctions

In addition to implementing UN sanctions, the EU has imposed its own wide range of restrictive measures on Iran. Such measures relating to Iran’s nuclear proliferation activities include:

travel bans for individuals
an asset freeze for individuals and entities
a prohibition on making funds or economic resources available to those listed

These measures also include economic and financial sanctions, covering the trade, financial and transport sectors.

Restrictive measures in the trade sector include:

a ban on arms exports to Iran
a ban on exports of dual-use goods and goods that could be used in nuclear enrichment-related activities
a ban on imports of crude oil, natural gas, petrochemical and petroleum products
a ban on the sale or supply of key equipment used in the energy sector
a ban on the sale or supply of gold, other precious metals and diamonds
a ban on certain naval equipment
a ban on certain software

Restrictive measures in the financial sector include:

freezing the assets of the Central Bank of Iran and of major Iranian commercial banks
laying down notification and authorisation mechanisms for transfers of funds above certain amounts to Iranian financial institutions

Restrictive measures in the transport sector include:

preventing access to EU airports of Iranian cargo flights
a ban on the maintenance and service of Iranian cargo aircraft or vessels carrying prohibited materials or goods

Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)

On 14 July 2015, Iran and the 'E3/EU3' agreed on a Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. This plan set out a series of steps for the following years to ensure Iran's nuclear programme would exist for exclusively peaceful purposes.

The UN Security Council adopted resolution 2231(2015) regarding the JCPOA in July 2015. The resolution:

endorsed the JCPOA
allowed for certain exemptions from existing restrictive measures
defined the schedule and commitments to be undertaken by all parties to lead to the termination of restrictive measures against Iran

On 16 January 2016 (implementation day), the UN lifted some of its nuclear-related restrictive measures, as set out in resolution 2231 (2015), while the Council lifted all nuclear-related economic and financial EU sanctions against Iran.

On 17 October 2023, the Council decided to refrain from lifting these restrictive measures on transition day (18 October 2023), as originally envisaged under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

In its conclusions of December 2022, the Council reiterated the EU’s clear determination that Iran must never develop or acquire a nuclear weapon, and recalled Iran’s commitments in that respect, as well as its international obligations.

The European Union strongly urges Iran to reverse its alarming nuclear trajectory and to return to its political commitments in the field of nuclear non-proliferation without further delay.