EU to impose sanctions over Iranian ballistic missile transfer to Russia

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -The European Union is expected to impose sanctions on Monday on people and organisations linked to Iranian transfers of ballistic missiles to Russia, two European diplomats and a high-ranking EU official said on Friday.

EU foreign ministers will approve sanctions on 14 individuals and organisations over the transfer, including airlines and other companies, according to one of the diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity.

EU officials did not identify the firms or individuals. Diplomats had previously said the EU was looking at measures that would curb the operations of national airline Iran Air.

Last month, the United States, citing intelligence it said had been shared with allies, said Russia had received ballistic missiles from Iran for its war in Ukraine.

Washington immediately imposed sanctions on ships and companies it said were involved in weapons transfers.

The EU then said it had received "credible information" on the transfer of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia and foreign policy chief Josep Borrell proposed "a substantial set of decisive and targeted measures" against Iran in response.

Monday's package will be the first results of that proposal. As the 27-country EU requires unanimity to agree on sanctions, such decisions usually take some time.

Following the U.S. allegations, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said his government had not transferred any weapons to Russia since it took office in August.

The high-ranking EU official said Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi had told Borrell that Iran had supplied "short- range rockets" to Russia that could fly up to 250 kilometers.

The Iranian minister insisted the rockets were not ballistic and did not specify when they had been transferred, according to the EU official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

EU officials also said discussions were continuing among EU countries over whether to list Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guards military force as a terrorist organisation.

A decision by a German court has provided a legal basis for such a listing but EU members were still debating whether it was politically wise to make the designation, officials said.

(Reporting by Andrew Gray and Lili Bayer; Writing by Andrew Gray and Makini Brice; Editing by Benoit Van Overstraeten)