By Fidelius Schmid in Brussels and Daniel Dombey in London
The Financial Times, January 18 – The European Union could expand the range of sanctions against Iran beyond United Nations-mandated measures, according to a document seen by the Financial Times.
A proposal by Germany, holder of the EU’s revolving presidency, would ban individuals linked to Iran’s nuclear and missile programmes from visiting the EU and reaffirm the EU’s opposition to selling arms to Tehran.
Last month the Security Council passed a resolution requiring UN member states to prevent the transfer of nuclear and missile technology to Tehran and to stop all financing for a number of companies linked to the nuclear and missile programmes. The resolution also requires UN states to freeze the assets of 12 people connected with the programmes.
The EU proposals, put forward ahead of a foreign ministers meeting on Monday, would also ban travel to the EU of the individuals on the UN list and take steps to restrict Iranians studying proliferation-sensitive subjects within the EU.”
However, at a meeting on Thursday night EU diplomats watered down an earlier initiative to declare a formal arms embargo on Tehran, which would have grouped Iran with pariah states such as Sudan and Zimbabwe.
The proposals will need to be backed by all 27 EU member states, some of which, such as Italy, have close commercial ties with Iran.
