Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/1547 of 25 July 2025 amending Decision (CFSP) 2023/1532 concerning restrictive measures in view of Iran’s military support to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and to armed groups and entities in the Middle East and the Red Sea region
Date: 2025-07-25
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: EU restrictive measure, Iran, Russia, Russo-Ukrainian issue, Ukraine, economic sanctions, international sanctions, legal person, military intervention, natural person




L_202501547EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
L series













2025/1547


25.7.2025







            COUNCIL DECISION (CFSP) 2025/1547
         
of 25 July 2025
         
amending Decision (CFSP) 2023/1532 concerning restrictive measures in view of Iran’s military support to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and to armed groups and entities in the Middle East and the Red Sea region


THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Article 29 thereof,


Having regard to the proposal from the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,

Whereas:







(1)


On 20 July 2023, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2023/1532 (1).












(2)


On the basis of a review of Decision (CFSP) 2023/1532, the restrictive measures set out therein should be renewed until 27 July 2026, and the entries concerning two persons and one entity listed in the Annex to Decision (CFSP) 2023/1532 should be updated.












(3)


Decision (CFSP) 2023/1532 should therefore be amended accordingly,





HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:



Article 1
Decision (CFSP) 2023/1532 is amended as follows:






(1)


in Article 10 the date ‘27 July 2025’ is replaced by the date ‘27 July 2026’;










(2)


Annex I is amended in accordance with the Annex to this Decision.






Article 2
This Decision shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.




Done at Brussels, 25 July 2025.


For the Council


The President

M. BJERRE
            





(1)  Council Decision (CFSP) 2023/1532 of 20 July 2023 concerning restrictive measures in view of Iran’s military support to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and to armed groups and entities in the Middle East and the Red Sea region (OJ L 186, 25.7.2023, p. 20, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2023/1532/oj).




ANNEX
Annex I to Decision (CFSP) 2023/1532, entitled ‘List of natural and legal persons, entities and bodies referred to in Articles 2 and 3’, is amended as follows:






(1)


in the list entitled ‘A. Natural persons’, entries 7 and 20 are replaced by the following:










 


Names (Transliteration into Latin script)


Names


Identifying information


Reasons for listing


Date of listing




‘7.


Mohammad-Reza Gharaei ASHTIANI







(Farsi spelling)


Position(s): Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces
DOB: 1960
POB: Tehran, Iran
Nationality: Iranian
Gender: male


Mohammad-Reza Gharaei Ashtiani has been the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces since August 2024.
He was the Minister of Defence of the Islamic Republic of Iran (August 2021-August 2024) and was responsible for the EU-listed Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL).
MODAFL is responsible for the planning, logistics and funding of Iran’s Armed Forces. It is also a key player in Iran’s defence industry with multiple conglomerates and subordinates active in research and development, maintenance and manufacturing of military equipment, including the manufacturing of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
MODAFL is also involved in the set-up of a joint plant for the production of UAVs and the sale of UAVs to Russia intended for use in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
In his function as Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Mohammad-Reza Gharaei Ashtiani coordinates and oversees the conventional army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and is a close associate of the Supreme Leader of Iran. As he oversees the IRGC, this also includes the IRGC Aerospace Force, responsible for Iran’s UAV program. He is thus in a supervising role for both the missile and the UAV program. In his role, he is also supporting Iranian military cooperation with Russia.
As Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Mohammad-Reza Gharaei Ashtiani is directly involved in Iran’s UAV and missile programmes and is involved in transferring Iran’s UAVs to Russia in support of its war of aggression against Ukraine.


31.5.2024




20.


Mohammad Reza KHIABANI


محمدرضا مدرس خیابانی
(Farsi spelling)


Position(s): Director of IRISL
Nationality: Iranian
Gender: male
Associated entities: Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL); Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN); Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Research and Self-Sufficiency Jihad Organisation (IRGC/SSJO)


Mohammad Reza Khiabani is the director of the EU-listed Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL), which is a major Iranian maritime carrier.
For years, ships belonging to or managed by IRISL or its affiliated companies, have been implicated in shipping military related cargo and other activities aimed at providing support to Russia in support of its war of aggression against Ukraine and to armed groups and entities undermining peace and security in the Middle East and the Red Sea region, in particular in relation with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and some of its branches, notably the (EU-listed) Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) and the (EU-listed) Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Research and Self-Sufficiency Jihad Organisation (IRGC/SSJO).
The (EU-listed) Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) converts container ships owned or previously owned by IRISL Group into drone carriers. The IRGCN is part of the IRGC, and includes an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) division and a missiles division. The IRGCN is involved in Iran’s UAV and missile programmes and involved in transferring Iran’s missiles to armed groups and entities undermining peace and security in the Middle East and the Red Sea region.
The IRGC/SSJO is a research and development unit that is part of the IRGC that develops and manufactures ground penetrating radar, communication systems, weaponry, combat vehicles and electronic cyberwarfare equipment. The IRGC/SSJO is involved in Iran’s UAV and missile programmes and in transferring Iranian UAVs to Russia in support of its war of aggression against Ukraine.
Therefore, in his principal managerial position as director of IRISL, Mohammad Reza Khiabani is involved in transferring Iran’s UAVs or missiles or related technologies to Russia in support of its war of aggression against Ukraine and to armed groups and entities undermining peace and security in the Middle East and the Red Sea region, and is associated with branches of the IRGC, in particular the (EU-listed) IRGC/SSJO and the (EU-listed) IRGCN.


18.11.2024’;














(2)


in the list entitled ‘B. Legal persons, entities and bodies’, entry 20 is replaced by the following:










 


Names (Transliteration into Latin script)


Names


Identifying information


Reasons for listing


Date of listing




‘20.


Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL)


گروه کشتیرانی جمهوری اسلامی ایران
(Farsi spelling)


Place of registration: Iran
Associated individuals: Mohammad Reza Khiabani (director)
Associated entities: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN); Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Research and Self-Sufficiency Jihad Organisation (IRGC/SSJO)


Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) is a major Iranian maritime carrier.
For years, ships belonging to or managed by IRISL or its affiliated companies, have been implicated in shipping military related cargo and other activities aimed at providing support to Russia in support of its war of aggression against Ukraine and to armed groups and entities undermining peace and security in the Middle East and the Red Sea region, in particular in relation with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and some of its branches, notably the (EU-listed) Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) and the (EU-listed) Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Research and Self-Sufficiency Jihad Organisation (IRGC/SSJO).
The (EU-listed) Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) converts container ships owned or previously owned by IRISL Group into drone carriers. The IRGCN is part of the IRGC, and includes an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) division and a missiles division. The IRGCN is involved in Iran’s UAV and missile programmes and involved in transferring Iran’s missiles to armed groups and entities undermining peace and security in the Middle East and the Red Sea region.
The IRGC/SSJO is a research and development unit that is part of the IRGC that develops and manufactures ground penetrating radar, communication systems, weaponry, combat vehicles and electronic cyberwarfare equipment. The IRGC/SSJO is involved in Iran’s UAV and missile programmes and in transferring Iranian UAVs to Russia in support of its war of aggression against Ukraine.
Therefore, IRISL is involved in transferring Iran’s UAVs or missiles or related technologies to Russia in support of its war of aggression against Ukraine and to armed groups and entities undermining peace and security in the Middle East and the Red Sea region, and is associated with branches of the IRGC, in particular the (EU-listed) IRGC/SSJO and the (EU-listed) IRGCN.


18.11.2024’.











ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2025/1547/oj
ISSN 1977-0677 (electronic edition)