The European Union has announced sanctions against 39 Iranian officials and 141 companies.
AFP reports that at a meeting in Brussels today, EU countries could not reach a consensus regarding sanctions on Iran’s oil and gas sector, announcing that further talks on the matter will be pursued.
Greece and Italy, major buyers of Iranian oil, had previously expressed their opposition to oil sanctions.
The EU announced that the newly blacklisted individuals and companies are linked to Iran’s nuclear program, and the move is in response to the recent report from the International Atomic Energy Agency, which raised the possibility that Iran’s nuclear program has a military aspect.
Britain has already announced unilateral sanctions on Iranian banks, and the U.S. has mounted further sanctions against Iran’s petrochemical industry.
Russia has spoken against any new sanctions on Iran, emphasizing that diplomatic talks would be more effective in enlisting Iran’s full cooperation with the international community regarding its nuclear program.
Iran has repeatedly denied having any military ambitions around its nuclear program.
