EU agrees new Iran sanctions, won't label Guards as 'terrorist' for now - Reuters

BRUSSELS, Jan 23 (Reuters) - The European Union connected Monday introduced caller sanctions against Iran for a "brutal" crackdown connected protests, but the bloc's apical diplomat said the country's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) cannot beryllium listed arsenic a violent radical without a tribunal decision.

Relations betwixt the 27-nation EU and Tehran person deteriorated during stalled efforts to revive talks connected its atomic programme, worsening further arsenic Iran has moved to detain respective European nationals.

The bloc has besides go progressively captious of the continuing convulsive attraction of home protesters, including executions, and the transportation of Iranian drones to Russia.

Sweden, which presently holds the EU's rotating presidency, said the bloc's overseas ministers gathering successful Brussels connected Monday "adopted a caller bundle of sanctions against Iran, targeting those driving the repression."

"The EU powerfully condemns the brutal and disproportionate usage of unit by the Iranian authorities against peaceful protesters," said Sweden's Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom, according to a Twitter station by the country's EU diplomatic mission.

EU diplomats told Reuters past week the bloc was acceptable to adhd 37 names to a blacklist of Iranian radical and entities banned from travelling to Europe and taxable to an plus freeze.

The European Parliament has called connected the EU to spell further and database the IRGC arsenic a violent entity, blaming it for the clampdown connected protests present into their 4th period and the proviso of drones for Russia's warfare against Ukraine.

The IRGC was acceptable up soon aft the 1979 Islamic Revolution to support the Shi'ite clerical ruling system. It has an estimated 125,000-strong subject with army, navy and aerial units, and commands the Basij spiritual militia often utilized successful crackdowns.

"The Iranian regime, the Revolutionary Guards terrorise their ain colonisation time aft day," German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told Monday's meeting.

But the EU's apical diplomat said a tribunal ruling with a factual ineligible condemnation had to archetypal beryllium handed down successful a subordinate state earlier the EU itself could use immoderate specified designation.

"It is thing that cannot beryllium decided without a court... determination first. You cannot accidental I see you a violent due to the fact that I don't similar you," Josep Borrell told reporters connected the sidelines of the Brussels talks.

The ministers were gathering successful the EU governmental hub wherever thousands took to the streets a time earlier to protestation against the detention successful Iran of Belgian assistance idiosyncratic Olivier Vandecasteele.

Iran earlier warned the EU against designating the IRGC arsenic a violent entity.

Reporting by Bart Meijer and Philip Blenkinsop, Writing by Ingrid Melander and Gabriela Baczynska, Editing by Peter Graff, Timothy Heritage and John Stonestreet

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