EU and its allies weight a harsh common response to suspected Iranian deliveries of ballistic missiles to Russia
The European Union (EU) has raised serious concerns following evidence that Iran is supplying short-range ballistic missiles to Russia, for use in the war against Ukraine. This missile supply is reportedly intensifying Russian bombings on civilian and infrastructure targets in Ukraine, leading to increased casualties. The EU joined the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany in the accusations against the Islamic country.
Despite Iran’s denials of involvement, this common posture have strengthened the stance of the Western bloc. The mentioned countries are heading toward imposing further sanctions. These measures aim to curtail the arms supplies fueling the conflict in Ukraine, and severe sanctions are expected to follow.
EU’s proposed measures
EU High Representative Josep Borrell has proposed a series of strong, targeted measures. But these require unanimous agreement from member states. Potential actions of the EU include canceling bilateral aviation agreements with Iran, and imposing additional sanctions on entities linked to Iran’s ballistic missile program.
The EU has already imposed sanctions on Iranian individuals and entities involved in supplying drones for Russia’s aggression. These include travel bans, asset freezes, and economic restrictions. The new intelligence could lead to even harsher measures.
International reactions
The United States, in coordination with the UK, has also announced plans to impose new sanctions on Tehran. France, Germany, and the UK have issued a joint statement condemning the missile supply as a dangerous escalation that poses a direct threat to European security.
As the situation develops, the international community is closely monitoring Iran and Russia’s actions, debating the best course of action to respond to this new escalation. Last monday, a foreign ministry spokesperson said that “we strongly reject the claims on Iran’s role in exporting arms to one side of the war”.
Additionally, these last denunciations against Iran come alongside the Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s request to strike Russian targets, deep inside the country. Ukraine is waiting for the response of Western allies. Also, the country launched its biggest drone attack, since the start of the Russian invasion, on Tuesday.
