The European Union will move ahead early next week with new sanctions against individuals and entities linked to Iran, sources told RFE/RL on October 11.
According to three European sources who spoke with RFE/RL on condition of anonymity, the sanctions are expected to be agreed on October 14 and likely will include Iran Air.
One source noted that EU ambassadors had already given the package a preliminary green light on October 9.
"Yes, sanctions on Monday in response to the shipment and more sectoral sanctions likely after that," another source told RFE/RL, referring to the transfer of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia.
"I have zero indication that there is any reluctance," the source said.
After the United States, Britain, France, and Germany accused Iran of sending missiles to Russia more than a month ago, the three European countries announced their plans to place sanctions on Iran Air, the state-owned airline.
At the time, the German Foreign Ministry told RFE/RL that work had begun to consult with European allies on the matter.
Iran Air has direct flights to several cities in Europe, including Frankfurt, Hamburg, Cologne, Paris, and Milan.
The possibility of new EU sanctions comes just a few days after Peter Stano, the EU's chief foreign policy spokesman, told RFE/RL that he was "optimistic" about the EU's relationship with Iran.
Stano stressed that EU relations with Iran "have been at an all-time low for a long time" and noted that the most recent reason is Iran's support for Russia in its illegal invasion of Ukraine by supplying drones and more recently missiles.
Domestic repression in Iran, arbitrary detention of EU citizens, and uranium enrichment are other factors that have caused the Islamic republic's relations with the EU to become "complicated" and "sensitive," according to Stano.