The European Union has imposed sanctions on two Iranian individuals and one organization involved in blocking the Strait of Hormuz, the EU Council announced on Monday.
The measures primarily target the Hormozgan Provincial Command of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy, which has taken control of the Strait and implemented a toll system. Under this system, vessels must now provide identification documents, along with information regarding their cargo and destination, which is then forwarded to the Hormozgan Provincial Command.
Furthermore, two individuals were added to the sanctions list. One is the deputy commander for political affairs within the IRGC Navy. This individual acted as a spokesperson for the organization and had threatened to use missiles or drones against ships traversing the Strait of Hormuz. The second sanctioned person is a representative of the Iranian Union of Exporters of Oil, Gas, and Petrochemical Products. According to the EU, this person promoted a policy requiring vessels to pay transit fees to Iranian authorities to ensure a safe passage.
Those persons and organizations falling under the sanction regime face asset freezes, and it is forbidden to provide them with money or economic resources, whether directly or indirectly. In addition, there is a travel ban to the EU for all listed natural persons. With these new entries, a total of 26 natural and legal persons and 27 organizations from various countries are now subject to the EU’s restrictive measures.
This sanction decision marks the first time the EU has utilized its authority to penalize violations of freedom of navigation.
