EU Slaps New Sanctions on Iran

EU Headquarters in Brussels (File photo: Reuters)
EU Headquarters in Brussels (File photo: Reuters)
TT

EU Slaps New Sanctions on Iran

EU Headquarters in Brussels (File photo: Reuters)
EU Headquarters in Brussels (File photo: Reuters)

The European Union on Monday imposed new sanctions on Iran, targeting five officials and two entities for their role in the violent crackdown on mass protests in Iran.

The European Council said that the new sanctions targeted an Iranian official in charge of enforcing the laws of wearing the veil and the Student Basij Organization (SBO), which acts as the IRGC's violent enforcers on university campuses.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said before announcing the sanctions that the EU will not accept the human rights violations in Iran.

Baerbock said the enforced hijab means that women's rights in Iran are still not respected, according to the German news agency.

Regarding the new sanctions, the minister said that other people responsible for human rights violations would be included on the sanctions list, especially from the IRGC.

The Council announced that it would also list the IRGC Cooperative Foundation, which is responsible for managing the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps' investments and funneling money into the regime's brutal repression.

The new listings include the current commander of the Tehran Police Relief Unit of Iran's Law Enforcement Forces (LEF).

The new sanctions include an asset freeze, a travel ban to the EU, and a prohibition on making funds or economic resources available to those listed. A ban on exports to Iran of equipment that might be used for internal repression and equipment for monitoring telecommunications is also in place.

EU's restrictive measures now apply to 216 individuals and 37 entities.

Meanwhile, Amnesty International called on Iran to immediately halt its public execution of two Afghans convicted of "armed rebellion."

In a statement, the organization expressed concern after judicial authorities in Fars province announced that the two would be executed soon in Shiraz.

Iranian state media said they were convicted of an armed attack in Shiraz on October 26, 2022.

Amnesty said all countries should condemn the Iranian authorities' appalling use of the death penalty in the strongest possible terms.

The Human Rights Organization in Iran reported last Friday that the judicial authorities executed three protesters in Isfahan Central Prison, which was met with widespread international condemnation.

Iran witnessed protests across the country following the death of the young woman, Mahsa Amini, who died in September last year.



France Adds First Nuclear Reactor in 25 Years to Grid

A general view of the three reactors making up the Flamanville nuclear power plant with the third-generation European Pressurised Water nuclear reactor (EPR) in the background in Flamanville, France, April 25, 2024. REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq/File Photo
A general view of the three reactors making up the Flamanville nuclear power plant with the third-generation European Pressurised Water nuclear reactor (EPR) in the background in Flamanville, France, April 25, 2024. REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq/File Photo
TT

France Adds First Nuclear Reactor in 25 Years to Grid

A general view of the three reactors making up the Flamanville nuclear power plant with the third-generation European Pressurised Water nuclear reactor (EPR) in the background in Flamanville, France, April 25, 2024. REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq/File Photo
A general view of the three reactors making up the Flamanville nuclear power plant with the third-generation European Pressurised Water nuclear reactor (EPR) in the background in Flamanville, France, April 25, 2024. REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq/File Photo

France connected the Flamanville 3 nuclear reactor to its grid on Saturday morning, state-run operator EDF said, in the first addition to the country's nuclear power network in 25 years.

The reactor, which began operating in September ahead of the grid connection, is going online 12 years later than originally planned and at a cost of around 13 billion euros - four times the original budget.

"EDF teams have achieved the first connection of the Flamanville EPR to the national grid at 11:48am (1048 GMT). The reactor is now generating electricity," EDF said in a statement, Reuters reported.

The Flamanville 3 European Pressurised Reactor is France's largest at 1.6 gigawatts (GW) and one of the world's biggest, along with China's 1.75 GW Taishan reactor, which is based on a similar design, and Finland's Olkiluoto.

It is the first to be connected to the grid since Civaux 2 in 1999 but is being brought into service at a time of sluggish consumption, with France exporting a record amount of electricity this year.

EDF is planning to build another six new reactors to fulfil a 2022 pledge made by President Emmanuel Macron as part of the country's energy transition plans, although questions remain around the funding and timeline of the new projects.