The EU imposes sanctions on Iran over the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Kallas: “This is the first time, and we will do it again if necessary”

Brussels – Following a night of renewed escalation in the Middle East—with exchanges of fire between Israel and Iran since the start of the fragile ceasefire signed on 8 April—the European Union has chosen today (8 June) to step up its diplomatic offensive against Tehran and apply its new sanctions regime on freedom of navigation for the first time. Around lunchtime, the EU Council has announced the formal adoption of a series of sanctions against two Iranian individuals and one institutional entity. The reason, according to the official statement from the European Commission, is “their involvement in Iran’s actions and policies aimed at threatening freedom of navigation in the Middle East.”

This refers to the decision taken by Tehran in the wake of the Israeli-US attack on 28 February to block free access to the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway linking the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Indian Ocean, through which a fifth of the world’s oil is transported.

At the top of the list of those sanctioned by Brussels is the Hormozgan Province Command of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN). This is the naval component of the so-called Pasdaran, the military force tasked with defending and protecting the ideology and security of the Iranian regime, and since the start of the war, the IRGCN has taken control of the Strait of Hormuz.

It is therefore up to the Navy to manage the toll system that the Islamic Republic has established to verify the identification documents and information regarding the cargo and final destination of all ships travelling through the canal and—only then—to assess which ones are actually permitted to pass through it.

In this scheme, the Hormozgan Command plays a central role: as it has jurisdiction over the Iranian province bordering the Strait, it is the naval unit responsible for screening vessels and turning back those that fail the “selection” process.

In addition to the Hormozgan Command, the Council has also extended sanctions to two individuals. According to Brussels, both are allegedly involved in the Iranian regime’s activities aimed at undermining freedom of navigation in the Middle East.

The first is Mohammad Akbarzadeh, spokesperson and deputy commander for Political Affairs in the Navy. According to the Council, Akbarzadeh is considered a particularly dangerous individual, having repeatedly threatened to “use missiles or drones against vessels transiting the Strait.” The second individual sanctioned is Hamid Hosseini, a member of the Iranian Chamber of Commerce and representative of the Union of Iranian Exporters of Oil, Gas and Petrochemicals. “In his capacity,” explains today’s statement, “Hosseini promotes the policy of submitting, undergoing assessment, and paying transit fees to Iranian authorities for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.”

As regards the nature of the sanctions, three main measures are envisaged: the freezing of assets and property held within the EU; the prohibition on European entities from making funds or economic resources available to those subject to sanctions;​ and, as regards the two individuals involved, the ban on entry into the EU.

Brussels has long had a sanctions regime against Iran. For a long time, this was intended to punish the country for its support for Russia in the war of aggression against Ukraine, for the support provided to various armed groups in the Middle East, and for the repeated human rights violations committed by the regime.

In a decision announced on 22 May, the Council has adapted this sanctions regime to the requirements of the new conflict in the Middle East, extending its scope to include all individuals or institutions playing an active role in the disruption of shipping operations carried out by Tehran.

“This is the first time the EU has applied its new sanctions regime regarding freedom of navigation, and we will do so again if necessary,” warned the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, on the sidelines of the Defence Ministers’ meeting currently taking place in Cyprus. Describing Iran’s actions in the Strait of Hormuz as “unacceptable”, the former Estonian Prime Minister then referred to one of the key topics discussed at today’s interministerial meeting: the extension of the Operation Aspides—the diplomatic-military mission established by the EU in February 2024 to ensure maritime security in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden—to Hormuz.

“Aspides is making a vital contribution to the protection of shipping in the Red Sea,” emphasised Kallas, “and I have proposed that it should help to do the same in the Strait as a contribution to the efforts of the ad hoc Franco-British coalition.”

The EU’s foreign policy chief, however, made it clear that this scenario would only materialise “when conditions allow.” A phrase that betrays the complexity of an operation such as the mid-mission change to the mandate of a military mission, for which the approval of all Member States is required.