Iran condemns planned EU sanctions as unlawful

These should make it possible to impose further trade restrictions on Iran in order to make it more difficult for the country to build and develop drones and missiles…reports Asian Lite News

Iranian Foreign Minister Hussein Amirabdollahian has condemned “planned” sanctions against his country over the major drone and missile attack on Israel earlier this month as “unlawful” and “regrettable.”

Iran had exercised its right to self-defence with the attack, Amirabdollahian wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday. He called for sanctions to be imposed against Israel.

At a meeting in Luxembourg on Monday, the foreign ministers of the 27 EU member states instructed EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell to submit concrete proposals for sanctions.

These should make it possible to impose further trade restrictions on Iran in order to make it more difficult for the country to build and develop drones and missiles.

There are also plans to impose sanctions on individuals, organisations and companies involved in the production of drones and missiles and their delivery to Iran’s allies in the Middle East.

The moves are in response to Iran’s unprecedented direct missile attack on Israel 10 days ago. It followed a suspected Israeli attack on the Iranian embassy in the Syrian capital Damascus at the beginning of the month.

In the latter incident, two generals and five other members of the powerful Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) were among those killed.

Israel carried out a retaliatory strike in the province of Isfahan on Friday, reportedly hitting an air base.

Meanwhile, Kanaani warned that his country will make a “harsher and more decisive” response should Israel make another mistake.

He made the remarks at a weekly press conference in the capital Tehran while commenting on Iran’s recent massive retaliatory military operation against Israel, which was carried out in response to a deadly Israeli strike on April 1 against the Iranian consulate in Syria, Xinhua news agency reported.

Kanaani said the Israeli attack on Iran’s diplomatic premises constituted an aggressive violation of international laws and regulations.

He stressed that Tehran deemed its retaliatory operation concluded and its objectives achieved, but “if Israel makes another mistake, Iran’s response will be harsher and more decisive”.

Turning to the explosions heard early Friday near the Iranian city of Isfahan in an apparent Israeli strike, Kanaani denounced the attack as “vexatious and malicious,” adding no party has yet claimed responsibility for it.

He noted that Iran’s air defence had carried out its duty and foiled the attack conducted by “a small flying object and micro air vehicle,” stressing the perpetrators did not achieve anything.

Commenting on Iran’s potential countermeasures in response to the incident, Kanaani said necessary actions had been taken and the incident did not warrant any follow-up.

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