BRUSSELS — The European Union toughened sanctions against Iran on Monday because of the disputed Iranian nuclear program, banning trade in sectors like finance, metals and natural gas, and making business transactions in many other areas far more cumbersome.
The European Union’s foreign ministers agreed to the measures, the most far-reaching since it slapped a ban on oil imports in July, at a regular meeting in Luxembourg.
In a joint statement, the ministers expressed “serious and deepening concerns over Iran’s nuclear program” and said Iran “is acting in flagrant violation of its international obligations.”
The decision to intensify pressure on Iran comes amid growing evidence that sanctions aimed at forcing Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment activities have begun to inflict serious damage to its economy.
“We want to see a negotiated agreement,” said Catherine Ashton, the Union’s foreign policy chief who represents six major powers including the United States, ahead of the meeting.
Ashton said contacts were set to continue with Saeed Jalili, Iran’s nuclear negotiator, in order to assess when to convene another meeting. Ashton has held five rounds of talks with Iranian negotiators since late 2010. Iran is suffering acute inflation from the weakness of the rial, the national currency, which lost 40 percent of its value against the dollar this month. Outside economists have pointed to Iran’s currency troubles as evidence that the sanctions, which have severely restricted Iran’s ability to sell oil and do international banking transactions, are having a profound impact.
While traveling in Baku, Azerbaijan, Iran’s foreign minister, Ali Akbar Salehi, said the sanctions would have no “lasting effect” on the Iranian economy.
