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The EU is discussing ramping up sanctions against Iran over its support for Hamas — but there is a wide split among EU diplomats over whether that’s a good idea, POLITICO reports.

Meanwhile, the big three EU member states — Germany, France and Italy — also have drawn up plans, seen by POLITICO, on how to further sanction Hamas.

Tehran has long been a key backer of Hamas, which carried out attacks on October 7 in which some 1,400 Israeli citizens were killed and more than 240 people kidnapped. Despite this history of support from Tehran, however, some U.S. and Israeli officials have played down the extent to which Iran was directly involved in, or even aware of, Hamas’ plans for October 7.  

Still, some within the EU want to prepare extra sanctions on Iran, in particular a ban on the export of components used in the production of missiles.

The EU listed Hamas as a terrorist organization years ago and there are a number of sanctions already in place. As for Iran, last month the EU decided to keep in place its sanctions linked to the Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. And since July, Brussels has a new sanctions regime that prohibits the export of components used in drones after accusations that Iran was supplying Russia with drones used to bomb Ukraine. 

Broadening those measures is now causing a stir in Brussels, according to three EU diplomats briefed on the discussions who were granted anonymity to speak freely because of the sensitive nature of the talks.

The proposal was discussed last week in a working group of diplomats specialized in the Middle East at the Council, the legislative body where member states sit.

In that meeting several EU countries raised red flags about the timing of the proposal, arguing that it could backfire and escalate the conflict in the Middle East. Escalating the conflict is “exactly what the EU wants to avoid,” one of the diplomats said.

On the opposite side of the argument, some EU countries said it would make sense to have measures ready if there is proof that Iran was involved in the attack on October 7 or if Tehran escalates the situation in the region.

The EU has come under pressure from the U.S. and Israel to impose new sanctions on Hamas. And the bloc’s three biggest countries — Germany, France and Italy — have proposed new sanctions against Hamas and its international backers in a so-called non-paper (a non-official EU document) seen by POLITICO.