Sources say that the EU could impose sanctions on Iran in recent days over alleged drone supplies to Russia

October 20, 2022: -The European Union could impose recent sanctions on Iran “in a matter of days” following further investigations into if it helped Russia in its war in Ukraine, two sources told on Tuesday.

Ukraine has blamed Tehran for providing Russia with drones, which have recently been used to attack Kyiv. According to the Kyiv City State Administration, 28 drones have been used to attack the Ukrainian capital, with five contributing to explosions in the city on Monday.

The U.S. has also added that Iranian drones were used in attacks in Kyiv on that same day. Iran has denied the accusations.

“We are following the use of these drones very closely, we are gathering evidence, and we will be ready to enact with the tools at our disposal,” the EU’s foreign experiences chief, Josep Borrell, said at a press conference Monday, after a meeting with his European counterparts.

Investigations are ongoing, but one EU official, wanting to be named because of the sensitive nature of the situation, told on Tuesday that the bloc could be ready to impose sanctions “in a matter of days.”

On Tuesday, a second EU official, who preferred to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity problems, said that the recent sanctions “could come quite soon.”

The first official said these are to impact entities and individuals facilitating drone delivery to Moscow.

On Monday, the EU introduced punitive measures on Iran for violating human rights with its crackdown on protests that are taking place following the death in police detention of Mahsa Amini. Monday’s sanctions were imposed on 97 individuals and eight entities. These potential recent penalties on Iran could be the second in just a few days.

In addition, France and the U.K. have warned that Iranian weapons supplies to Russia would breach the homeland’s obligations under the 2015 nuclear deal. This also highlights that recent attempts to revive this accord could be in vain. Negotiations amid Iran, the U.S., and the EU have recently stalled.