JERUSALEM

Israel on Tuesday welcomed a European Union decision to expand sanctions on Iran as regional tension continues to escalate over Tel Aviv’s brutal war on the Gaza Strip.

"I welcome the decision of the EU foreign ministers yesterday to impose strict sanctions on the Iranian regime,” Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said on X.

He termed the sanctions as “necessary” in what he called “the international community’s war against the Iranian threat, which poses the greatest danger to the security and stability of the Middle East, Europe, and the world as a whole.”

These sanctions “will harm the Iranian missile and drone production processes, make it difficult to ship Iranian weapons to conflict zones via ships, and increase the economic pressure on the Iranian regime,” he said.

The EU said Monday that it would step up restrictive measures against Iran, targeting the country's military support for Russia in its war with Ukraine.

The bloc said it will extend its sanctions framework to include bans on the export and supply of components used in developing missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

The measures aim to curb the transfer of Iranian-made drones, missiles, and similar technologies to Russia and armed groups in the Middle East and Red Sea regions, the EU Council said in a statement.

Additionally, the EU has prohibited transactions involving ports and facilities linked to individuals and entities implicated in the transfer of such military equipment.

Iran has repeatedly denied supplying missiles to Russia for use in Ukraine.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala