Daily Finland
The European Union (EU) on Monday approved sanctions against Iranian individuals and entities over allegations of disrupting maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said, reported Xinhua. Kallas made the announcement at a press conference following an informal meeting of EU defense ministers in Cyprus. She said freedom of navigation is facing increasing pressure globally, particularly in the Strait of Hormuz, where Iranian actions and drone activity have allegedly posed risks to commercial shipping. EU ministers considered such actions unacceptable, she added. According to Kallas, the decision marks the first time the EU has activated its new sanctions regime aimed at safeguarding freedom of navigation. She said the bloc would not hesitate to use the mechanism again if necessary. Kallas also said the EU naval mission ASPIDES is making a "crucial contribution" to protecting commercial shipping in the Red Sea, where vessels continue to face threats from Yemen's Houthi group. She further proposed that, once conditions permit, ASPIDES could contribute to broader maritime security cooperation efforts in the Strait of Hormuz, including initiatives led by France and the United Kingdom. Discussions on the proposal will continue, Kallas said. Meanwhile, a senior Iranian diplomat on Monday condemned the move by the Council of the European Union to approve sanctions against certain Iranian individuals and institutions in connection with Iran's control of the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi denounced EU members as "major violators" of Iranians' rights and accused the bloc of staying silent on U.S. naval blockades against Iran. "Iran does not attach any value to this political and hypocritical European move and will continue its strategy of maintaining sovereignty and exercising sovereign rights over the Strait of Hormuz," Gharibabadi posted on social media platform X. The EU council sanctioned the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps Navy's Hormozgan Provincial Command, as well as Mohammad Akbarzadeh, IRGC Navy's deputy commander for political affairs, and Hamid Hosseini, a representative of Iran's Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Products Exporters' Union. Iran tightened its grip on the strait, barring vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States, following U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, starting on Feb. 28. The United States has also imposed a naval blockade on the strait, preventing ships traveling to and from Iranian ports from transiting the waterway.
Go to News Site
Kauppalehti 
Hämeen Sanomat 
Etelä-Saimaa 
Ilta-Sanomat 
