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EU approves topped-up sanctions on Iran, diplomats say

Iran Materials 26 July 2010 17:17 (UTC +04:00)
European Union foreign ministers on Monday approved a list of sanctions on Iran which go well beyond the measures approved by the United Nations, diplomats said.
EU approves topped-up sanctions on Iran, diplomats say

European Union foreign ministers on Monday approved a list of sanctions on Iran which go well beyond the measures approved by the United Nations, diplomats said, DPA reported.

The sanctions are meant to pressurize Iran into ending its disputed uranium enrichment programme. Tehran says that the programme is purely for peaceful means, but the UN wants it halted until Iran proves that it is not trying to build a nuclear bomb.

EU foreign ministers approved a list of sanctions targeting Iran's banks, shipping companies and airlines and banning the transfer of European equipment and technology to the country's oil and gas sector, diplomatic sources said.

Most measures should come into effect as soon as they are published in the EU's official journal, a move which is expected later this week.

Some will need to go through national legislative procedures, a process expected to last some weeks.

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