The foreign ministers of the 27 European Union member states are expected to approve the extension of sanctions against Iran, Syria and Belarus during their regular meeting in Brussels on Thursday, a source in the Council of the European Union said.
A total of 179 Iranian officials and institutions linked to the government are expected to be added to the European blacklist over Tehran’s controversial nuclear program, the source said.
The EU ministers are also expected to approve the tenth set of sanctions against Syria, designed to persuade President Bashar al-Assad to stop his violent crackdown on dissent. The sanctions will affect a number of Syrian financial, banking and energy enterprises, as well as officials and institutions believed to be linked to the Assad regime.
The list of 245 Belarusian officials who have been banned from travelling to the EU and whose foreign assets have been frozen over their alleged involvement in the crackdown on the country’s opposition is also expected to be extended.
