By Al-Fassel | 2024-12-30

The Iranian regime's recent actions reveal it is feeling the weight of sanctions imposed by a number of countries on its airline, shipping and weapons procurement operations, observers said.

Tehran on December 21 lashed out at Italy and Switzerland following the arrests of two Iranians in Italy and the United States accused of transferring sensitive US technology to Iran, AFP reported.

Iran's foreign ministry "invited" the Italian chargé d'affaires and the Swiss ambassador to Tehran, who represents US interests in Italy, to "declare its protests to the arrests," ministry official Vahid Jalalzadeh told Tasnim.

The Iranian regime also reacted angrily after a joint round of European Union (EU) and British sanctions on the vessels and ports used to transfer drones and missiles to Iran was rolled out November 18.

The 27-member bloc has prohibited the export, transfer, supply or sale of components used to make missiles and drones, from its territory to Iran.

It has banned any transaction with ports, such as Amirabad and Anzali on the Caspian Sea, "owned, operated or controlled" by sanctioned individuals and entities or used to supply Russia with drones, missiles and related materials.

The EU also blacklisted state-run Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) and its director Mohammad Reza Khiabani for shipping drones on behalf of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy and three Russian shipping companies.

The UK simultaneously froze IRISL assets and national carrier Iran Air for transporting ballistic missiles and military supplies to Russia for use in Ukraine.

In response, Iran's foreign ministry summoned the chargé d'affaires of the British embassy in Tehran to protest the targeting of Iran's national airline and shipping company as "illegal and unjustified."

Iranian foreign ministry Western Europe Department director general Abbas Naderi condemned the British sanctions, and dismissed the claim that Iran is delivering ballistic missiles to Russia, despite ample evidence to the contrary.

The Iranian regime also has been supplying drones to Russia, which Moscow has used in its attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure and civilians.

Iran's foreign ministry also summoned the ambassador of Hungary, which holds the rotating presidency of the EU, on November 19, to protest the sanctions.

Observers say the Iranian regime's angry reaction to the recent sanctions only serves to highlight its current precarious position, which has become even weaker in the aftermath of the fall of its key ally, the Syrian regime.

The Syrian regime's collapse also has weakened Russia, another key Iranian ally, leaving the Iranian regime and its proxies increasingly isolated, they said.