The European Union has imposed sanctions on two Iranian individuals and a unit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) over actions linked to disruptions of maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil shipping routes.
The sanctions, announced on Monday, mark the first use of the bloc’s newly established mechanism aimed at protecting freedom of navigation and responding to threats against international maritime transit.
In a statement, the EU said it had placed the Hormozgan Provincial Command of the IRGC Navy on its sanctions list, alongside Mohammad Akbarzadeh and Hamid Hosseini.
According to the bloc, Akbarzadeh serves as the Deputy Commander for Political Affairs of the IRGC Navy, while Hosseini is a representative of Iran’s Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Products Exporters’ Union.
The measures come after Iran moved to close the Strait of Hormuz following the outbreak of hostilities triggered by U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.
Speaking at a news conference in Cyprus, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, described Iran’s actions as unacceptable and said member states had agreed to take action against those involved.
“Iran’s actions are unacceptable. In response, member states have approved sanctions against Iranian entities and individuals involved in disrupting transit through the Strait of Hormuz,” Kallas said.
She stated that the sanctions represent the first application of the EU’s new freedom of navigation regime and indicated that similar measures could be imposed again if circumstances require.
The Strait of Hormuz remains a critical global trade corridor, with roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil supply passing through the narrow waterway.
Ojo Triumph
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