EU plans to sanction senior Iran Guard members: Report

The European Union is set to target senior members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in a first volley of sanctions over the recent deadly crackdown on mass protests. The 27-nation bloc is expected to announce asset freezes and visa bans on 21 individuals and entities – including high-ranking IRGC members – when EU foreign ministers meet in Brussels on Thursday, unnamed diplomats told the AFP news agency. The new sanctions come as calls grow for the EU to formally list the IRGC as a “terrorist organisation”, with Italy throwing its weight behind the push.