The Iran characterized today “absurd» the new sanctions imposed yesterday Friday by the EU against Iran high-ranking officials and to Guards of the Revolution because, as he complained, they provided drones to Russia and their allies in the Middle East.

The EU yesterday imposed sanctions on Iran’s defense minister Mohammad Reza Astiani and five other officials, against the Revolutionary Guards Navy – the elite body of the Iranian military – and against two other Iranian entities, including a company that sells drone parts.

The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called these measures “regrettable”, pointing out that they are based on “repeated, absurd and baseless excuses and accusations”.

“The EU has once again resorted to the outdated and ineffective measure of sanctions” against Iran, pointed out Nasser Kanani representative of the ministry.

The EU accuses these officials and entities of being involved in Iran’s drone production program or of organizing and facilitating the transfer of drones and missiles to Moscow to attack Ukraine or “armed groups that endanger peace and security,” such as the Shiite Houthi rebels in Yemen and the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah.

The European sanctions provide for the freezing of assets in the EU of the officials and entities involved and the ban on issuing entry visas. It also prohibits the provision of EU resources or money to these officials and entities.

In mid-May, the E.E. expanded the list of drone parts prohibited from being exported to Iran. Missile components are also included in the list.

So far the E.E. has imposed sanctions against 277 individuals in Iran and 42 entities.