EU reaches deal on new Iran sanctions-diplomats

Reuters: European Union governments agreed in principle on Tuesday to extend sanctions against Iran by adding some 200 names to a target list of people and entities in an effort to add pressure on Tehran over its nuclear programme, diplomats said.

BRUSSELS, Nov 22 (Reuters) – European Union governments agreed in principle on Tuesday to extend sanctions against Iran by adding some 200 names to a target list of people and entities in an effort to add pressure on Tehran over its nuclear programme, diplomats said.

The decision will be formally approved at a meeting of EU foreign ministers on Dec. 1, they said.

“The silent procedure went through, it’s done,” said one EU diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity. He was referring to a procedure that allows EU governments to reach agreements on various policies.

European companies will be banned from doing business with the listed firms and organisations, while officials will be subject to asset freezes and visa bans.

EU diplomats can, in theory, tweak the target list during further discussions in the coming days, and the final list of names will be made public after the formal approval.

In addition to extending the sanctions list, EU governments are also expected to discuss proposals by France and Britain for further sanctions, such as targeting the Iranian central bank. France also wants to target the oil industry.

If agreed, such moves could also be formally approved next week, diplomats have said.

France said on Tuesday it was pushing hard to persuade its EU counterparts to move quickly on its proposal.

On Monday, the United States, Britain and Canada announced new measures against Iran’s energy and financial sectors, in response to a Nov. 8 International Atomic Energy Agency report that presented intelligence suggesting Iran had worked on designing an atomic bomb. (Reporting by Julien Toyer and Luke Baker; Writing by Justyna Pawlak; Editing by Jon Hemming)