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Europe, US Seek More Sanctions Against Iran But Warn Israel

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – The United States and European allies are imposing new sanctions on Iranian military leaders and weapon makers to punish Iran for its April 14 missile and drone attack on Israel, but they urge the Jewish nation not to retaliate strongly amid fears of a broader war.

The European Union’s European Council President Charles Michel called additional
Sanctions “a clear signal that we want to send: We need to isolate Iran.”

He said details would be forthcoming in the next few days.

However, Michel’s announcement came shortly after the foreign ministers of Britain and Germany visited Israel to urge restraint in its response to Iran’s assault.

Britain’s and Germany’s foreign ministers, David Cameron and Annalena Baerbock, visited Israel on Wednesday to urge restraint in its response to Iran’s assault.

Yet Netanyahu said after the meeting that while he appreciated “all kinds of suggestions and advice,” he “want to make it clear: We will make our own decisions, and the State of Israel will do everything necessary to defend itself.”

So far, Israel is reported to have launched an airstrike on a military base in Iran with missiles capable of evading Iranian radar. They targeted a crucial component of the air defense system that safeguards Iran’s nuclear facilities, Israeli sources said.

HITTING IRAN

The air strike in central Iran hit a site near the city of Isfahan, part of a network protecting Iran’s highly classified Natanz nuclear facility nearby, Worthy News monitored.

Israel had earlier warned that it won’t allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons, though the Islamic Republic claims its nuclear program is “peaceful.”

Yet American and European officials suggest that they hope their sanctions will encourage Israel not to increase retaliation against Iran. Tehran has so far said that the Israeli strike had done only limited damage to its infrastructure.

White House officials said U.S. sanctions target leaders and entities connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Iran’s Defense Ministry, and the Iranian government’s missile and drone programs.

The sanctions also seek to block exports by Iran’s steel industry that bring Tehran billions of dollars in revenue, they said.

“I’ve directed my team, including the Department of the Treasury, to continue to impose sanctions that further degrade Iran’s military industries,” President Joe Biden said in a statement. “Let it be clear to all those who enable or support Iran’s attacks: The United States is committed to Israel’s security.”

Britain said it had imposed sanctions on seven people and six entities linked to Iran’s regional military activity and its attack on Israel, which Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called a “reckless act and a dangerous escalation.”

CONDEMNING BEHAVIOR

“These sanctions — announced with the U.S. — show we unequivocally condemn this behavior, and they will further limit Iran’s ability to destabilize the region,” Sunak said in a statement.

Israel’s foreign minister, Israel Katz, welcomed the new sanctions.

“This is our opportunity to form a global front and a regional coalition against Iran, together with the U.S., the EU, and moderate Arab states, to stop the serpent’s head that threatens global stability,” Katz wrote on social media. “We must stop Iran now before it’s too late.”

But critics warn the sanctions may not curb military activity by Iran, which has continued despite hundreds of Western sanctions, in part through illicit shipments of oil.

It was also far from clear that the sanctions would persuade Israel not to strike Iran further in retaliation for this month’s attack.

Last October, the Biden administration announced similar sanctions on the Iranian drone and missile programs, which officials claimed were aimed at “frustrating” Iran’s ability to produce the weapons it used to hit Israel.

Israel and its allies shot down some 99 percent of them, several security sources confirmed.