The Council of the European Union has decided to expand its sanctions policy to block transit through the Strait of Hormuz, according to its statement of 22 May.
EU authorities regard Iran’s actions against ships passing through the strait as a violation of international law and plan to impose restrictions on individuals and organisations involved in these “actions and policies” of the Iranian authorities.
“Iran’s actions against ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz are contrary to international law. Such actions violate established rights of both transit and peaceful passage through international straits,” the EU Council said.
In a publication on social network X on the same day, the bloc’s leadership specified that from now on the EU “will be able to apply sanctions to individuals and organisations that threaten freedom of navigation in the Middle East.”
Individuals and organisations that violate the recently adopted measures will face entry restrictions as well as asset freezes on EU territory, the press release said.
Since the start of the US-Israeli war against Iran on 28 February, Tehran has virtually closed the Strait of Hormuz – a key maritime bottleneck – causing a surge in oil prices around the world.