Trump's Iran sanctions: Europe should follow the USA

US President Donald Trump continues to implement his doctrine of "maximum pressure" on the Islamic Republic of Iran . On Monday, he imposed sanctions on oil traders, shipping companies and individuals who, as part of the so-called shadow fleet, enable the export of oil from Iran despite US sanctions. These are already the second anti-Iran sanctions in his short term in office.

The European Union has also imposed "restrictive measures" against the Islamic Republic in the past. These are linked to human rights violations in the country, such as the execution of demonstrators. But many are linked to Russia's war against Ukraine and its support for armed groups in the Middle East.

So the realization that the Islamic Republic is involved in all the major conflicts that the West is currently directly or indirectly involved in is there. However, more could be done in terms of countermeasures, as the United States is currently doing.

Whatever Iran earns from the sale of the sanctioned raw material goes straight into the state coffers. Although the country is currently in a serious economic and inflation crisis, it has so far had the financial means to generously support militias such as Hezbollah in Lebanon or the Houthis in Yemen in their war against Israel.

On Monday, the European Union adopted sanctions package number 16 against Russia . This is aimed, among other things, at ships that belong to Russia's shadow fleet - and contribute to Russia's income despite sanctions. So this principle is also well known.

Russia and Iran are working together in the energy sector, and thus also together on circumventing sanctions. An axis of sanctions circumvention has emerged between the two states and China - thanks to shadow fleets. If you want to be consistent, you have to impose the same measures on both. And Europe should quickly follow the USA.