The European Union has expanded sanctions against Iran, including three Russian shipping companies. The Council of the European Union officially announced this decision because of Iran’s support for Russia and its involvement in the development of missiles and drones.
The new sanctions include a ban on exporting, transferring, supplying or selling components used in missile and drone production from the EU to Iran. The EU also imposes a ban on any transactions with ports that are operated to transfer Iranian UAVs or missiles or related technologies and components to Russia.
Additionally, the EU has taken restrictive measures against one individual and four entities.
These designations include the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) and his director Mohammad Reza Khiabani. IRISL is Iran’s national maritime carrier, and for years its ships have been involved in shipping drones on behalf of the EU-listed Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy.
The European Union sanctions three Russian shipping companies: MG Flot, VTS Broker, and Arapax. According to the EU statement, the vessels of these companies are involved in the transportation of Iranian-made weapons and ammunition, including UAV components, across the Caspian Sea to support Russian troops fighting in Ukraine.
LLC Arapax, registered in the Russian city of Astrakhan, is the owner of exchange contracts for the purchase of granular urea, sulfur, and potassium chloride from Turkmen state concerns. The company also delivers mineral fertilizers and sulfur from Turkmenistan to the European Union through the inland waterways of Russia and the ports of Georgia.
The shipping company MG Flot specializes in maritime transportation of goods across the Caspian. It owns both dry cargo and Ro-Ro vessels.
VTS Broker is part of the VTS Group, the largest forwarding company in the Astrakhan region, in the market for transport and logistics services for both general cargo and containers in both the Russian Federation and Caspian states.
