The European Union has agreed on new sanctions against Iran over its supply of drones to Russia for use in Ukraine a few days after announcing a package of punitive measures against Tehran for human rights offences.
“After three days of talks, EU ambassadors agreed on measures against entities supplying Iranian drones that hit Ukraine,” the Czech presidency of the EU said in a tweet on Thursday.
“EU states decided to freeze the assets of three individuals and one entity responsible for drone deliveries [and are] also prepared to extend sanctions to four more Iranian entities that already featured in a previous sanctions list.”
The three people named in the sanctions ― Maj Gen Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, Gen Sayed Hojatollah Qureishi, and Brig Gen Saeed Aghajani ― are part of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Ministry of Defence and the armed forces.
They are all involved in supervising the country's drone development programme or supplying drones to Russia.
Shahed Aviation Industries, an IRGC-linked company that manufactures the Shahed-136 drones that Russia has allegedly used in Ukraine, was also sanctioned.
The UK also announced matching sanctions alongside the EU action against Iranian suppliers.
A UK Foreign Office statement said sanctions had been imposed on Iranian individuals and businesses responsible for supplying Russia with kamikaze drones used to bombard Ukraine.
“By supplying these drones, Iran is actively warmongering, profiting off Russia’s abhorrent attacks on Ukrainian citizens and adding to the suffering of the people and the destruction of critical infrastructure,” the statement said. “Both Russia and Iran are violating a UN Security Council resolution that controls the transfer of these weapons from Iran.”
Reports of a transfer of Iranian drones to Russia surfaced in August and Ukraine has published pictures in the past weeks of the wreckage of Shahed-136 unmanned aerial vehicles, known as kamikaze drones because they explode on impact.
Russia is reportedly using the drones to attack both civilian targets and critical infrastructure in Kyiv and across Ukraine, with the intention of cutting off the Ukrainian people from energy, heat and water.
Ukrainian authorities claim to have shot down more than 220 Iranian-made drones in little more than a month and have linked the weapons to civilian deaths.
In an interview with The National, a senior US State Department official on Thursday described their use as “truly unacceptable”.
A senior EU official told reporters on Wednesday that the EU had gathered sufficient evidence of Russia's use of Iranian drones.
The EU's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, on Thursday said in a tweet that “the EU condemns the delivery of Iranian drones to Russia and their deadly deployment in the war of aggression against #Ukraine”.
There have been further reports in the media of Iran sending drone trainers to Russian-occupied Crimea.
Iran has denied any involvement in the transfer of the drones.
'Blood money'
But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday said he did not trust Iran's rejection of such accusations. He described the alleged transfer of drones to Russia as “blood money”.
“They publicly denied all that, saying that 'we didn't sell anything', but here we see. Hundreds of strikes on Ukraine, on the capital, on civil infrastructure, on schools, nearby the university, at the university,” he told Canada's CTV Television Network.
Russia has reportedly recently switched to using relatively cheap Iranian-made drones after failing to take control of the Ukrainian skies. Ukraine has managed to destroy at least 60 Russian military aircraft since the start of the war.
The prices of Shahed-136 drones can range between €20,000 and €50,000 ($19,604 and $49,011), which is considerably cheaper than some of the more sophisticated weapons from Russia's own arsenals.
Modern cruise missiles and hypersonic ballistic missiles cost millions of euros, said Rafael Loss, co-ordinator of pan-European data projects at the European Council on Foreign Relations.
“This particular kind of Iranian drone can hit stationary targets like residential buildings or power plants, but moving targets like manoeuvring forces are more difficult to strike with them,” Mr Loss told The National.
“For close air support, you still need piloted aircraft, by and large.”
Iran's Shahed drones fly slowly enough to be shot out of the sky with a well-aimed rifle, but because of their low cost, they can be sent in swarms, making it difficult to prevent one or two from getting through and striking residential buildings or damaging scattered targets such as electricity substations.
Iran is also reportedly planning to send surface-to-surface missiles to Russia for use in its war against Ukraine.
Tehran's supply of drones to Russia contravenes UN Security Council Resolution 2231, a US State Department spokesman said on Wednesday.
On Monday, the EU imposed sanctions on 11 Iranians and four Iranian entities, including the country's morality police and its law enforcement forces, after weeks of brutal repression of protests that have swept the country following the death of a young woman detained for allegedly wearing her hijab improperly.
Human rights groups have reported that at least 200 protesters have been killed.
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The Cairo Statement
1: Commit to countering all types of terrorism and extremism in all their manifestations
2: Denounce violence and the rhetoric of hatred
3: Adhere to the full compliance with the Riyadh accord of 2014 and the subsequent meeting and executive procedures approved in 2014 by the GCC
4: Comply with all recommendations of the Summit between the US and Muslim countries held in May 2017 in Saudi Arabia.
5: Refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of countries and of supporting rogue entities.
6: Carry out the responsibility of all the countries with the international community to counter all manifestations of extremism and terrorism that threaten international peace and security
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
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Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
The Lowdown
Kesari
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
Produced by: Dharma Productions, Azure Entertainment
Directed by: Anubhav Singh
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Parineeti Chopra
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This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
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Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
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The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
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The%20specs%3A%202024%20Panamera
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.9-litre%20twin-turbo%20V6%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E353hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E500Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEight-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh408%2C200%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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The specs: 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV
Price, base: Dh138,000 (estimate)
Engine: 60kWh battery
Transmission: Single-speed Electronic Precision Shift
Power: 204hp
Torque: 360Nm
Range: 520km (claimed)
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The biog
Family: He is the youngest of five brothers, of whom two are dentists.
Celebrities he worked on: Fabio Canavaro, Lojain Omran, RedOne, Saber Al Rabai.
Where he works: Liberty Dental Clinic
The five pillars of Islam
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
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RACE CARD
6.30pm: Baniyas Group 2 (PA) Dh 97,500 (Dirt) 1,400m.
7.05pm Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,200m
7.40pm Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,400m
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8.50pm Rated Conditions (TB) Dh 120,000 (D) 1,600m
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Ibrahim's play list
Completed an electrical diploma at the Adnoc Technical Institute
Works as a public relations officer with Adnoc
Apart from the piano, he plays the accordion, oud and guitar
His favourite composer is Johann Sebastian Bach
Also enjoys listening to Mozart
Likes all genres of music including Arabic music and jazz
Enjoys rock groups Scorpions and Metallica
Other musicians he likes are Syrian-American pianist Malek Jandali and Lebanese oud player Rabih Abou Khalil
