Did the EU's Iran sanctions of 15 October 2024 matter?
A look back at the EU's listing of fourteen Iranian individuals and firms over missile and drone transfers to Russia.
What did the European Union intend to achieve on 15 October 2024, when it sanctioned fourteen Iranian individuals and firms? The listings included Iran Air and several high-ranking members of the Quds Force. The EU accused them of transferring missiles and drones to Moscow to help Russia in its invasion of Ukraine.
The measure targeted both a national airline and senior military figures, which suggests Brussels was aiming at the transfer chain as well as the people behind it. That is the sanctions' stated purpose; the EU's own account was that the transfers aided Russia's war effort.
The decision came two days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated, on 13 October 2024, that North Korean troops had been deployed to Ukraine to fight alongside the Russian military. Taken together, the two developments showed Ukraine's war drawing in support for Russia from several foreign states, as reported at the time.
For Kyiv, the EU listings were one more instance of its partners acting against those said to be arming Moscow. For this review, the opinion is simple: naming specific firms and commanders is more credible than general warnings, though the real test is whether such sanctions are enforced.
