EU widens sanctions on Iranian shipping firms

BRUSSELS, Nov 18 (Reuters) - The European Union has widened its sanctions against Iran over Tehran's support of Russia in its war with Ukraine, the European Commission said on Monday.

The Commission said it had added the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) and its director Mohammad Reza Khiabani, among others, to its sanctions list.

The fresh sanctions are against vessels and ports used for transporting Iranian-made Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), missiles and related technologies and components. They include prohibiting any transaction with ports and locks owned, operated or controlled by the sanctioned individuals and entities.

The Managing Director of Iran's Ports and Maritime Organization Ali Akbar Safaei condemned the fresh sanctions and denied the "European accusations" as "baseless", Iran's official IRNA News Agency reported on Monday.

The EU is also sanctioning three Russian shipping firms - MG Flot, VTS Broker, and Arapax - for transporting Iranian weapons, including drone parts, across the Caspian Sea to resupply Russian troops in Ukraine.

Reporting by Bart Meijer and Charlotte Van Campenhout, Editing by Toby Chopra, Mark Potter, William Maclean