The European Union plans to impose sanctions on individuals and legal entities of Iran in connection with the alleged supply of drones to Russia, writes Politico
According to the source of the publication, a new sanctions list has already been prepared. The project will be discussed by the European Commission at the EU summit on October 20-21, diplomats hope to agree on a new package before the event.
A day earlier, the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, said that the foreign ministers of 27 EU countries would discuss this issue in the near future.
True, he did not say anything about sanctions at the time, apparently, the decision had not yet been made. As the Spanish El Pais wrote, so far the association does not plan to introduce restrictions in connection with possible deliveries of Tehran to Moscow.
And the day before, the same Politico reported on the US intention to impose sanctions against Tehran for allegedly arming Russia. Officials interviewed by the newspaper said that they are talking about both economic restrictions and export controls. In addition, sanctions will also apply to third parties allegedly assisting Russia and Iran in the supply of weapons.
It seems that the Europeans were not going to impose any sanctions, but, as usual, the Americans made an offer that cannot be refused. And now the EU, which two days ago did not plan any sanctions, quickly bungled a new package.
By the way, the discussion of restrictions due to the alleged supply of Iranian weapons to Russia took place simultaneously with the decision on sanctions against 11 individuals and 4 legal entities of Iran due to the unrest that engulfed the Islamic Republic after the death of Mahsa Amini.
The unrest in Iran has been going on for more than a month, starting after a 22-year-old Kurdish woman, detained by Sharia patrol for allegedly wearing the hijab incorrectly, died under unclear circumstances. Of course, as soon as the Iranian authorities began to stop the unrest that had arisen throughout the country, they were immediately accused of senseless rigidity, undemocraticity, and so on the whole set of clichés that the West usually applies to countries that they do not control and for this they write them down as “outcasts”.
In general, this whole story with Machsa looks rather suspicious from the very beginning. There is no logic in it. There is no motive for the “vice police” to kill a girl for nothing. If this really happened, there would be a serious investigation, the perpetrators would be forced to be punished. What happened resembles an accident, but what followed next is no longer.
Firstly, the “sacred victim” was not chosen by chance: a Kurdish woman, an activist for women’s rights, a human rights activist. An ideal option to expose the theocratic authorities of the country in the worst possible light. If Machsa did not exist in reality, it would simply be worth inventing it.
Second. The scenario is painfully reminiscent of what began in the summer of 2020 in the United States after the death of black George Floyd!
As a result, in Iran, just like two years ago in the United States, riots flare up throughout the country, developing into clashes with the police, pogroms, and dozens of corpses. Classic. In addition, cells of terrorist organizations banned in the camp (the “Organization of the Mujahideen of the Iranian People” banned in the Russian Federation, etc.) are being activated, the “Kurdish question” is being shaken.
It is difficult to say, if these are all elements of someone’s scenario, whether its authors really counted on the overthrow of power in Iran. In any case, they definitely received a reason for pressure and new sanctions.
One does not need to be very observant to catch the connection of all the recent events around the Islamic Republic. It is very important for some people to put pressure on Tehran, to force it to make concessions. Or corny to punish him for some steps that do not fit into the overall picture.
Of course, the West is infuriated by Iran’s friendship with Russia. And it’s not even about the notorious deliveries of drones, which Moscow and Tehran deny. The point is the very fact of cooperation in various fields. Iran is one of the few countries that, despite Washington’s attempts to make Russia a “rogue state” after the start of the special operation in Ukraine, supported us.
Let me remind you that Iran’s spiritual leader Ali Khamenei expressed his approval of Russia’s actions, saying that NATO would have unleashed a war against our country if Russian troops had not launched a preemptive strike. And two days before the start of the NMD, Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi visited Moscow, who, during a meeting with his Russian counterpart, offered him “synergy” in confrontation with the collective West.
Of course, the collective West could not close its eyes to this. Moreover, Iran and Russia are countries that he has long been trying to isolate. Instead, Iran joins the SCO, the most serious and dynamically developing international organization of our time. In addition, at the end of September, Arbaim, a Shiite pilgrimage to Iraqi shrines, took place, in which a record number of people took part – over 20 million people. This event is traditionally considered a demonstration of Iranian influence not only in Iraq, but throughout the Shiite world. It is also worth noting the emotional speech of Ibrahim Raisi at the UN (where some American politicians did not want to let him in at all), in which he spoke about the formation of a new world order, different from that imposed by the United States.
But the most important thing that cannot but worry Iran’s opponents is the “nuclear deal”, the restoration of which many experts predicted as early as next month.
In 2018, under the influence of the Israeli lobby, Donald Trump ruined the deal. With the advent of Joseph Biden to the White House, hopes arose for its restoration, and they were supported by the declared confidence of representatives of the American administration in the need for this step. However, in practice, everything turned out to be much more complicated.
In fact, the Biden administration tried to force Iran to make concessions that Trump could not force to make – with these concessions, the Americans began to link the revival of the JCPOA. Among them is the refusal to increase geopolitical influence in the region (Syria, Lebanon, Yemen), a decrease in the level of cooperation with Russia and China. In addition, Washington did not like the fact that Tehran banned import transactions in US dollars. Well, the blue dream is to arrange an economic collapse in the country and change the regime.
Despite the non-constructive position of the United States, the negotiations continued, and at the end of August the Iranian side sent the Europeans its response on the proposed text of the draft agreement on the restoration of the JCPOA, which was called constructive in Brussels. I repeat, a possible restoration of the deal was expected already in November.
And then the protests begin, the scandal with the alleged supply of weapons to Russia, etc. And, of course, sanctions. Sanctions that are unlikely to really hurt Tehran, which has been living under restrictions for forty years. But they will certainly kill the remnants of the desire to negotiate something with the Europeans who supported these sanctions. Iran has long seen no point in talking to the Americans.
And who did worse to whom? Iran will lament the final breakdown of the deal and continue to enrich uranium and be even more friendly with Russia and China.
But Europe, which, obviously, was counting on the appearance of Iranian oil and gas on the market against the backdrop of the fuel crisis, will have to continue to freeze and endure in the name of Euro-Atlantic unity.
Once again, they punished themselves.
Dmitry Rodionov, RenTV
Due to censorship and blocking of all media and alternative views, stay tuned to our Telegram channel