EU slaps fifth wave of sanctions on Iran, targeting 32 individuals

PARIS — European Union foreign ministers imposed on Monday sanctions that include a travel ban and asset freezes on 32 Iranian individuals and two entities over human rights violations. The decision was made during the ministers’ monthly meeting in Brussels.

Among others, the new EU sanctions list includes two Iranian ministers — Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohammad Mehdi Esmaili, accused of persecuting artists and filmmakers who did not support the Tehran regime, and Minister of Education Yousef Noori, who was responsible for the targeting and detention of students engaged in the protests.

Also on the list are the deputy commander and spokesperson of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), members of the Iranian parliament who supported crackdowns on demonstrators, police officials, judges and prison wardens and directors. The two entities sanctioned are the Law Enforcement Forces Cooperation Foundation and the Police Science and Social Studies Institute.

The new list brings the total number of Iranian individuals under sanctions to 196 and the tally of sanctioned Iranian entities to 33. A ban on exports to Iran of equipment that could be used for internal repression and to monitor telecommunications is also in place. Monday’s sanctions will go into effect the moment they are published in the official EU journal.