Malta reported to be opposing extended Iran embargo

Malta, Greece, Cyprus and Sweden to raise objections to new sanctions against Iran.

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Iran's national shipping line Irisl previously ran its entire Mediterranean operations from Malta.

Malta is reported to have joined Greece, Cyprus and now Sweden in objections to a list of new sanctions by the European Union against Iran over its nuclear energy programme.
Malta, which until last year hosted the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (Irisl) before it enforced EU and US bans against the blacklisted shipping line, has in the assisted American efforts in providing information about the operation of the Iranian shipping giant.
Iranian broadcasting network Press TV today cited an Israeli foreign ministry official claiming that a telecommunications deal between Swedish communications company Ericsson and Tehran was the real reason behind Sweden's opposition to further sanctions on Iran, saying the deal will be in jeopardy in case of additional bans.
"We know that in Sweden they fear that if the deal between Ericsson and Iran is canceled this could have implications for the company's other deals," the Israeli official is quoted as saying.
EU foreign ministers are meeting today in Luxembourg to formally ratify a new round of embargos on Iran, despite a warning by the United Nations against the humanitarian repercussions of the sanctions already in place. Despite pressure on the Swedish government to drop its opposition to the new sanctions on Iran, Swedish officials emphasized that bans only harm the Iranian people.
Any decision by the 27-nation bloc has to be unanimous and the four countries' objections will dilute the list of new sanctions.
According to EU diplomats, the new measures target Tehran's banking sector, industry and shipping. The new embargoes will oblige European traders to obtain the authorizations of their respective governments prior to financing any permitted business transaction with Iran.
The bloc will also ban its member states from selling metals and graphite, a steel component, to Iran and providing the country with ship manufacturing know-how, oil-storage technology as well as flagging and classification services to Iranian tankers.
Based on the new motion, the EU will also freeze the assets of 34 Iranian companies. The bloc's new move comes in defiance of the UN chief's recent remarks about the humanitarian ramifications of the previously-imposed embargoes.
Ban Ki-moon warned on October 5 that the West's sanctions have mainly targeted the livelihood of the ordinary Iranian population.