EU slaps human rights sanctions on Iran, warns of more over Ukraine - Reuters

Oct 17 (Reuters) - Several European Union overseas ministers connected Monday called for sanctions against Iran implicit the transportation of Iranian drones to Russia, arsenic the bloc agreed a abstracted acceptable of plus freezes and question bans implicit Tehran's crackdown connected protests.

Kyiv has reported a spate of Russian attacks with Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones successful caller weeks, saying connected Monday that Tehran was liable for the "murders of Ukrainians".

Iran denies supplying drones to Russia since its penetration of Ukraine. The Kremlin has not commented.

"I deliberation it (new sanctions) should beryllium worked retired immediately," Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu told Reuters arsenic the bloc's overseas ministers were owed to sermon the transportation of Iranian drones to Russia.

Reinsalu said Kyiv's reports connected the Iranian root of the drones should beryllium taken seriously, with sanctions acting arsenic a deterrent to amusement "this has consequences."

France and Germany, some parties to the 2015 atomic woody with Iran, person besides made it wide they believed caller sanctions successful transportation to the drones were indispensable and that the drone transfers should beryllium seen arsenic a usurpation of a U.N. Security Council resolution. work much

'THIS IS AN ATROCITY'

The EU could determination towards imposing caller sanctions against Iran implicit the matter, according to 2 diplomats progressive successful preparing talks among the ministers, though nary elaborate decisions were expected connected Monday. work much

"Iranian drones are utilized seemingly to onslaught successful the mediate of Kyiv, this is an atrocity," Denmark's Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod said arsenic helium arrived astatine the gathering of EU overseas ministers successful Luxembourg, urging a response. work much

EU overseas argumentation main Josep Borrell said the bloc would look for hard grounds astir Iran's role.

Meanwhile, the EU overseas ministers added 11 Iranians and 4 institutions, including Iran's morality constabulary chief, to a question prohibition and plus frost database for their relation successful the crackdown connected protests aft the decease successful custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini.

"Unanimous determination contiguous to instrumentality enactment against those successful #Iran liable for the decease of #MahsaAmini and convulsive repression of peaceful protests," Borrell tweeted.

Tehran says it is keeping bid against foreign-instigated troublemakers.

Additional EU sanctions connected Iran volition not beryllium constricted to blacklisting immoderate individuals should Tehran's engagement successful Russia's warfare connected Ukraine beryllium proven, Luxembourg's Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn said.

Reporting by Sabine Siebold, Marine Strauss, Gabriela Baczynska, Writing by Ingrid Melander, Editing by William Maclean and Andrew Cawthorne

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