EU set to sanction senior IRGC members over protest crackdown – AFP

The European Union is preparing to impose sanctions on senior members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in an initial response to a deadly crackdown on mass protests, AFP reported, citing EU diplomats.

The bloc’s 27 member states are expected to approve asset freezes and visa bans on 21 individuals and entities, including high-ranking IRGC members, ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Thursday, the diplomats said. Ambassadors are due to sign off on the measures on Wednesday.

EU ministers are also expected to agree on sanctions against 10 more individuals and entities over Iran’s supply of drones and missiles to Russia for use in Ukraine, AFP reported.

The move comes as pressure grows within the EU to formally list the IRGC as a terrorist organization, with Italy backing the push. The EU has already sanctioned hundreds of Iranian officials and entities over previous crackdowns and Tehran’s support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.