Brussels: Europe and the Arab

The European Council decided today, Friday, to expand the scope of the EU's restrictive measures, originally designed to counter Tehran's military support for Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine, as well as its support for various armed groups in the Middle East and the Red Sea region. The revised sanctions framework will now target individuals and entities involved in Iran's actions and policies that threaten freedom of navigation in the Middle East.

According to a statement issued in Brussels, this decision implements the political agreement reached by EU foreign ministers at the Foreign Affairs Council meeting on April 21, 2026. Iran's actions against ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz are contrary to international law, violating the established rights of innocent passage through international straits.

Thanks to the revised legal framework, the EU will now be able to impose further restrictive measures in response to Iran's actions that undermine freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. These measures include travel restrictions that prevent listed individuals and entities from entering or transiting through EU territory, as well as asset freezes. Furthermore, EU citizens and companies are prohibited from providing any funds, financial assets, or economic resources to the individuals and entities listed.

It should be noted that on 20 July 2023, the Council established a special sanctions framework in light of Iran’s military support for Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

This framework was expanded on 14 May 2024 due to Iran’s military support for armed groups in the Middle East and the Red Sea region, and for the drone and missile attacks launched by Iran against Israel in April 2024. In its conclusions of 19 March 2026, the European Council called for the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2817 (2026), recalling the need to ensure maritime security and respect for freedom of navigation, and condemning any actions that threaten navigation or impede the entry into or exit from the Strait of Hormuz.

On April 9, 2026, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy issued a statement on behalf of the European Union regarding the ceasefire agreed upon by the United States and Iran, urging all parties concerned to ensure freedom of navigation and safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, in accordance with international law, as set forth in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.