The Council of the European Union has extended its human rights sanctions against Iran until 13 April 2021.

What has happened

The EU has extended its human rights sanctions against Iran for a year.

What does this mean?

Council Implementing Regulation (2020) 510 and Council Decision (CFSP) 2020/512 renew the EU Council's measures to impose an asset freeze and travel ban on 82 people and to ban the export to Iran of equipment that might be used for internal repression or to monitor telecommunications.

The ban will be kept under review and will be renewed or amended as appropriate if the Council deems its objectives have not been met.

Since 1979, when the US embassy was seized in Tehran and the occupants were taken hostage, a number of sanctions has been imposed on Iran by numerous countries and international entities, especially by the US.

In January, France, Germany and the UK triggered the dispute process under the Iran nuclear deal, saying they had been "left with no choice" after Iran decided to further reduce compliance with the agreement. The triggering of the dispute mechanism should have started a 15-day consultation process, but EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Joseph Borrell extended the timeline in an attempt to save the deal. T

In February 2020, the Financial Action Task Force placed Iran on its blacklist.

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