Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran’s president, promised yesterday the Islamic republic would “respond strongly to any threat” hours before EU foreign ministers were to meet in Brussels to approve sanctions. EU officials and independent analysts have described the sanctions as the “toughest ever” against any country, going beyond what was agreed by the UN security council last month.
The measure that will alarm Iran is the EU’s ban on new investment, technical assistance and technology transfers to its gas and oil industry, particularly for refining and liquefied natural gas. Iran is the world’s fourth-largest producer of crude oil but imports 40 per cent of its fuel because it lacks refining capacity.
“Anyone who adopts a measure against the Iranian nation . . . should know that Iran will react swiftly,” Mr Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying by Press TV, Iran’s English-language TV channel. “Experience shows such a reaction by the Iranian nation will cause you to regret it.”
“In some areas, these sanctions will be close to crippling,” said a British diplomat.