Israel’s Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, revealed that he reached out to 32 countries and held discussions with numerous foreign ministers following a significant Iranian attack on Israel.
He pressed for sanctions on Iran’s missile program and for tagging the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation.
“This morning I sent letters to 32 countries and spoke with dozens of foreign ministers and leading figures around the world calling for sanctions to be imposed on the Iranian missile project and that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps be declared a terrorist organisation, as a way to curb and weaken Iran,” Katz wrote on Tuesday on X via @Israel_katz.
“Iran must be stopped now – before it is too late,” he added.
It has been reported that the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, announced on Tuesday that Brussels is initiating efforts to broaden sanctions against Iran following Tehran’s attack on Israel. Following an emergency online meeting of EU foreign ministers, Borrell stated that the bloc intends to strengthen measures against Iran’s provision of weaponry, including drones, to Russia and proxy groups across the Middle East.
“Some member states propose the adoption of expanded restrictive measures against Iran,” Borrell said.
The EU’s chief diplomat stated that he has requested his team to “commence the necessary work regarding the sanctions.” EU foreign ministers convened urgent discussions following Iran’s unprecedented drone and missile attack on Israel over the weekend, resulting in minimal damage. This meeting occurred on the eve of a two-day EU leaders’ summit in Brussels, where the escalating situation in the Middle East will be a prominent topic.
Tehran’s first-ever direct assault on Israeli territory was in retaliation for a fatal attack on its consulate in Damascus, widely attributed to Israel. Borrell affirmed that EU member states unanimously condemned Iran’s attack and affirmed Israel’s right to self-defence.
“We have to move away from the edge of the abyss,” Borrell said.
The EU has imposed sanctions on Iran for providing drones to Russia in the conflict in Ukraine and has warned of repercussions for Tehran if it supplies missiles to Moscow. Borrell mentioned that some EU member states have considered including Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on the bloc’s terrorist blacklist, but he stressed that this would first necessitate a legal ruling within a member state.