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Iranians Added To EU’s Syria Sanctions List -Diplomat

22 June 2011 19:42 (UTC +04:00)

Baku â€“ APA. Three Iranians have been added to the European Union’s Syria sanctions list, in a deal reached Wednesday, which included seven individuals and four entities in all, a diplomat has confirmed, APA reports quoting â€œThe Globe and Mailâ€.
The sanctions will take effect Friday.
"We welcome the inclusion of three Iranian names in the extended round of sanctions on the Syrian regime. This sends a clear message to the government of Iran that its provision of equipment and technical advice to help the Syrian regime quash protests is unacceptable," said a U.K. government spokeswoman.
Dow Jones Newswires had reported diplomats saying late Tuesday that the EU was close to a deal to extend Syria’s sanctions to new entities and individuals, including three Iranians. That deal was subject to a so-called silence procedure, which meant that if no country raised objections by Wednesday morning, the list of new sanctions targets would be adopted. There were no formal objections raised.
The names of the new sanctions targets weren’t immediately available. They will be published in the EU’s Official Journal Friday afternoon this week.
The EU has already imposed restrictive measures on 23 Syrian officials and others connected to the regime of President Bashar al-Assad in two rounds of sanctions after its violent crackdown on protesters. The second round of measures targeted Assad himself.
However, with efforts to condemn Syria’s crackdown on protesters so far stymied at the United Nations Security Council, EU ministers have been seeking ways to ratchet up pressure on Syria.
Iran is a key ally of Syria and has been singled out by the U.K. and others as providing crucial support for Assad’s crackdown. The Iranian government has close military and financial ties with the Assad regime.