EU widens Iran restrictive measures linked to Middle East shipping security
The Council of the European Union amended its Iran sanctions regulation to widen asset-freeze criteria to cover those linked to actions undermining freedom of navigation in the Middle East. The changes take effect the day after publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
BRUSSELS, May 22, 2026 — The Council of the European Union has amended Regulation (EU) 2023/1529 to broaden the bloc’s restrictive measures related to Iran, adding a new basis for asset freezes tied to Iran’s actions or policies undermining freedom of navigation in the Middle East.
Under the amendment, sanctions may now apply to natural or legal persons, entities or bodies responsible for, supporting, implementing or benefiting from those actions or policies. The regulation also updates the associated listing criterion so that persons or entities linked to those covered under the new category can also be targeted.
The measure also revises the title of the 2023 regulation so it now refers not only to Iran’s military support to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and to armed groups and entities in the Middle East and the Red Sea region, but also to Iran’s actions undermining freedom of navigation in the Middle East.
In addition, the text updates a provision concerning transfers of Iran’s unmanned aerial vehicles or missiles or related technologies, retaining coverage for persons, entities or bodies acting in breach of U.N. Security Council Resolution 2216 (2015).
The regulation states that it enters into force on the day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. The Official Journal reference in the text shows publication on May 26, 2026.
Regulatory Actions
Structured data extracted from official sources and validated by sanctions experts