The Council of the European Union on Friday expanded the scope of the bloc’s sanctions framework against Iran to include individuals and entities involved in actions threatening freedom of navigation in the Middle East, particularly in the Strait of Hormuz.

In a statement, the council said the amended legal framework would allow the bloc to impose restrictive measures on those linked to Iran’s actions “impeding lawful transit passage and freedom of navigation”.

The decision follows a political agreement reached by EU foreign ministers during the Foreign Affairs Council meeting on April 21.

The EU said Iran’s actions against vessels transiting through the Strait of Hormuz were “contrary to international law” and infringed on the “established rights of both transit and innocent passage through international straits”.

Under the expanded framework, the EU will be able to impose travel bans and asset freezes on listed individuals and entities.

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Those sanctioned would be prohibited from entering or transiting through EU territories, while EU citizens and companies would also be barred from making funds or economic resources available to them.

The sanctions framework was originally established in July 2023 in response to Iran’s military support for Russia’s war against Ukraine.

It was later broadened in May 2024 to address Iran’s support for armed groups in the Middle East and Red Sea region, as well as Tehran’s drone and missile attacks against Israel in April 2024.

The move comes amid heightened international concern over maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil shipping route.

In conclusions adopted on March 19, the European Council called for the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2817 and stressed the need to ensure maritime security and freedom of navigation.

The council also condemned “any acts that threaten navigation or prevent vessels from entering and exiting the Strait of Hormuz”.