Brussels [Belgium], March 11 (ANI): The European Union on Wednesday moved to intensify pressure on Tehran amid the conflict in West Asia by approving new sanctions targeting 19 Iranian regime officials and entities accused of serious human rights violations.

The move was announced by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, saying that the decision, taken by ambassadors of EU Member States, reflects the bloc's stance that it will continue to hold Iran accountable amid the ongoing conflict involving Tehran.

The sanctions are aimed at individuals and organisations alleged to be responsible for domestic repression and abuses.

'The EU continues to hold Iran accountable. Today, EU Member States ambassadors approved new sanctions targeting 19 regime officials and entities responsible for serious human rights violations. As the Iran war continues, the EU will protect its interests and pursue those responsible for domestic repression. It also sends a message to Tehran that Iran's future cannot be built on repression,' Kallas wrote in a post on X.

However, the latest sanctions package still requires formal approval from the Council of the European Union before coming into force.

Kallas' announcement comes against the backdrop of the conflict in the region escalating following the killing of 86-year-old Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in joint military strikes by the US and Israel on February 28, after which Iran, in its retaliation, targeted Israeli and US assets in several Gulf countries and Israel, causing disruption in the waterway and affecting international energy markets and global economic stability.

Earlier on Tuesday, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei sharply criticised European leaders, accusing them of hypocrisy and double standards over their stance on the ongoing conflict.

Baghaei's remarks came in response to statements by President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and Kallas regarding the regional situation.

In a post on X, Baghaei slammed Von der Leyen, accusing her of always being on the 'wrong side of history'.

'Please spare the hypocrisy. You've made a career out of standing on the wrong side of history--green-lighting occupation, genocide, and atrocities, and now laundering U.S./Israeli crime of aggression and war crimes against Iranians,' the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated.

He further questioned the EU's response to attacks inside Iran, referring to the deaths of children in the city of Minab due to alleged US strikes.

The Iranian spokesperson's statement came after von der Leyen, speaking at the EU Ambassadors' Conference, said that the people of Iran 'deserve freedom, dignity, and the right to decide their own future', while warning that the ongoing war could lead to broader regional instability.

The spokesperson also criticised remarks by Kallas regarding the situation in Lebanon and Israel, where she had said Israel has the right to self-defence under international law but called its response 'heavy-handed', warning that the escalation risks drawing Lebanon deeper into the conflict.

'Lebanon risks becoming another front in the war with Iran. Hezbollah's decision to attack Israel in support of Iran endangers the entire region and adds a deadly dimension. Israel has the right to self-defence in line with international law,' Kallas stated in her statement.

Responding in a separate post on X, Baghaei wrote, 'This is hypocrisy and double standards at their absolute finest. When Israel was committing genocide in #Gaza, massacring thousands in Lebanon, attacking multiple countries, and repeatedly violating ceasefires in both Gaza and Lebanon, the EU chose indifference - while some of its members kept sending weapons to the occupying power.'

Meanwhile, Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Randhir Jaiswal, confirmed that the two Indian nationals have lost their lives and one remains missing amid the ongoing West Asian conflict.

During the Inter-Ministerial Briefing on Recent Developments in West Asia in the national capital, the MEA spokesperson reiterated that the welfare and safety of India's large diaspora in the region remain the government's 'utmost priority' as the conflict continues to escalate.

'As you know, we have a large diaspora in GCC countries, numbering around 10 million. The welfare of our diaspora is of utmost priority and importance to us,' the MEA Spokesperson said.

The MEA stated that the casualties occurred when Indian nationals were aboard merchant vessels that were attacked in conflict-affected waters, adding that several Indians have also sustained injuries in the Gulf region amid the conflict, including one person hurt in Israel and another reportedly injured in Dubai.

'As for the casualties, we have lost two Indian nationals, and one remains missing. We express our condolences to their families. The incidents of death and the missing person occurred when they were on merchant vessels that came under attack,' Jaiswal said.

'A few Indians have also been injured in the GCC region. One person was injured in Israel, and there are reports of another individual being injured in Dubai. The MEA is in regular touch with them,' he added. (ANI)