The European Union announced on Monday that it had imposed sanctions?on two Iranians and a unit of 'Islamic Revolutionary.Guard.Corps, for threatening?freedom of maritime traffic?in the Strait of Hormuz. Around a fifth of world oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz. This was the first time that the EU used its new sanctions powers to punish Iran for restricting freedom of navigation.

In a written announcement, the EU stated that it has?added to its sanctions list the Hormozgan Regional Command of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGC), as well as Mohammad Akbarzadeh & Hamid Hosseini.

Akbarzadeh was listed as Deputy Commander - for Political Affairs - of the IRGC Naval and Hosseini as a representative of 'Iran's Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Products Exporters' Union'. Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's deputy foreign minister, commented on the decision. He said that Tehran did not value the "political" and "hypocritical" EU move. He stated that Iran will continue its strategy of?maintaining sovereignty over the strategic Strait. Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz following U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran that began on February 28.

"Iran's action is unacceptable." "Member states approved sanctions against Iranian entities, and individuals, involved in disrupting the transit through the Strait of Hormuz," said Kaja Kallas at an earlier news conference.

Kallas added, "This is the very first time that the EU has implemented its new freedom-of-navigation regime. If necessary, we will do it again." Reporting by Michele Kambas and Bart Meijer; Sudip Kar Gupta, Julia Payne, Menna Alaa El Din, and Elwely Elwelly, and Andrew Gray, editing.

(source: Reuters)