EU sanctions 18 individuals, 19 entities over alleged links to Iran

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The European Union imposed a new package of sanctions on Iran, affecting 18 individuals and 19 entities that Brussels saw as responsible for the so-called "crackdown" on the riots that took place in the Islamic Republic, a document published in the EU Official Journal said on Monday.

The sanctions went into effect swiftly after the publication was issued and hours after the European Union's foreign ministers agreed on the sanctions package.

According to the bloc's top diplomats, the sanctions were imposed on Iran due to Tehran committing "violations of human rights" in its response to the large-scale riots.

The latest package targeted a number of former and current Iranian officials, lawmakers, and ministers. The sanctions affected Iranian Sport and Youth Minister Hamid Sajjadi, claiming that he "forc[ed] Iranian athletes to refrain from comments on the situation in the country."

Furthermore, the sanctions affected the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps and other organizations.

In another context, The US Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions The Iranian Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Cooperative Foundation and ten top security officers are now subject to new penalties.

"Today, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control is designating Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Cooperative Foundation and five of its board members, the Deputy Minister of Intelligence and Security, and four senior IRGC commanders in Iran under human rights authorities," the release stated.

Members of the European Parliament demanded on Tuesday that the EU classify the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps of Iran as a "terrorist" organization.

On Wednesday, the European Parliament held a session and voted on this proposal noting that the results are non-binding. The vote was approved with 598 countries voting in favor, 9 against, and 31 abstentions.

Moreover, the European Parliament adopted on Thursday a resolution calling for more sanctions to be imposed on Iran over alleged human rights violations of human rights that Iran is claimed to have committed during the riots.

"The IRGC is a part of the military power and armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which has been the source of meritorious service with a brilliant record in the defense of the glorious land of Iran for more than 40 years," they said.

Moreover, the top officials emphasized the need to advance the Islamic Republic's development goals with the coordination and cooperation of their respective branches, as well as all the elements of the Islamic Republic.

In retaliation, a member of the Iranian parliament's presidium, Ahmad Naderi, said Friday that the Iranian parliament would enforce legislative amendments that would recognize armed forces of EU member states under the category of terrorist organizations if the EU proceeds to place the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) on its terrorist list.

Naderi was quoted by Iran's ISNA news agency as saying: "The parliament has prepared... draft amendments to the law on responsive measures to US' recognition of the IRGC as a terrorist organization... The draft will affect all EU member states, their armed forces, their organizations, and institutions that will put the IRGC on the terrorist list," 

This is in response to the European Parliament's adoption on Thursday of the resolution to impose additional sanctions against Iran over the West-backed riots in the country, in addition to alleged arms supplies to Russia and 'international espionage'.

Additionally, Iran’s Intelligence Ministry and the Intelligence Organization of the IRGC issued a statement in late October taking a jab at the role of foreign spy agencies, especially the CIA, in puppeteering the riots in Iran that took place in September.

"Numerous examples and undeniable references of the all-out role of the American terrorist regime in designing, implementing, and maintaining” the riots were exposed as part of “continuous and precise” intelligence monitoring in the past year, supported by documents, the statement read.

The statement pointed fingers at the CIA as it "played the main role” while being buddy-buddy with the espionage services of the UK, "Israel" and Saudi Arabia.

"The main perpetrators were the CIA, the British and Saudi intelligence services, the Israeli Mossad, and the intelligence services of other countries," it read. "the planning and the execution of the majority of the riots were carried out by the Mossad in collaboration with terrorist organizations."