EU Expands Sanctions on Iran?

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Europe is pushing to expand sanctions against Iranian military exports, according to the Wall Street Journal on March 19. The Journal quoted a letter by Germany, France, the Netherlands and five other European Union countries calling for the EU to sanction “Iranian actors which arm, fund, advise and instruct pro-Iran regional militias.”

The EU already sanctions Iran’s military exports to Russia. But with Iran’s sponsorship of Hamas in Gaza, the Houthis in Yemen, and other groups, some in Europe want to push back at Iran’s Middle Eastern ventures as well.

EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell opposed the letter’s recommendations. He claimed increased sanctions would “jeopardize other important objectives of EU policy such as containing Iran’s nuclear program.”

Much of Europe used to agree with that, but geopolitical heavyweights like Germany and France changing their tune on this is new. How long Borrell can stonewall pressure from countries like Germany remains to be seen.

Confronting Iran across the Middle East wasn’t as big of a focus of European policy before. Iran’s escalated proxy wars are changing this.

The Trumpet expects Iran’s pressure to increase until Europe confronts it head-on. And we expect Germany to be the tip of the spear.