At a meeting on Monday, EU foreign ministers plan to decide on a new package of sanctions against Iranian and Russian organizations. This was reported by the European publication Politico, citing sources among EU diplomats.
According to them, new sanctions will be directed against Iranian companies allegedly involved in “sending weapons to [other countries] in the region, as well as to Russia.” It is expected that restrictive measures will also affect airlines from Iran. In addition, the foreign ministers of the EU countries plan to discuss countering the circumvention of sanctions and may decide to introduce restrictive measures against unnamed Russian organizations allegedly involved in Moscow’s “destabilizing actions” in other countries. On October 8, the EU Council adopted a new mechanism for prohibitive measures that will against certain “destabilizing actions” of the Russian Federation abroad. Decisions on what constitutes “hybrid actions” and “intervention” will be made solely by the Council of the EU, on the proposal of EU members or its foreign policy service. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, in a separate statement, cited a list of “hybrid actions” that Brussels accuses Moscow of: cyber attacks, information manipulation, election interference, arson, vandalism and sabotage, including at critical infrastructure, instrumentalization of migration for subversive purposes. Borrell also claims that Russia is disrupting the “satellite communications” of NATO countries, their airspace and carrying out attacks on individuals in the EU.
