The European Union has expanded its sanctions against Iran, freezing assets and adding more officials to a visa blacklist. It cites 'serious human rights violations' for the measures - which follow other similar penalties over the Islamic republic's nuclear programme. The U.S. has just drawn up a list of countries which are to be cut-off from the American financial system - if they don't reduce Iranian oil imports within 6 months. Meanwhile, Israel says its threat of a military strike on Iran is stopping it from building a suspected nuclear bomb. Tehran maintains its atomic programme is for peaceful energy purposes only. But the U.S. is against an imminent attack on the Islamic state - believing it would drag the whole region into war. For more RT talks to Middle East expert, Professor Seyed Mohammad Marandi, from Beirut.

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