TEHRAN, June 8 (Xinhua) -- A senior Iranian diplomat on Monday condemned the move by the Council of the European Union to approve sanctions against certain Iranian individuals and institutions in connection with Iran's control of the Strait of Hormuz.

Earlier in the day, the EU Council announced that it approved restrictive measures "against two individuals and one entity under the extended legal framework targeting those involved in Iran's actions and policies threatening the freedom of navigation in the Middle East."

In response, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi denounced EU members as "major violators" of Iranians' rights and accused the bloc of staying silent on U.S. naval blockades against Iran.

"Iran does not attach any value to this political and hypocritical European move and will continue its strategy of maintaining sovereignty and exercising sovereign rights over the Strait of Hormuz," Gharibabadi posted on social media platform X.

The EU council sanctioned the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps Navy's Hormozgan Provincial Command, as well as Mohammad Akbarzadeh, IRGC Navy's deputy commander for political affairs, and Hamid Hosseini, a representative of Iran's Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Products Exporters' Union.

Iran tightened its grip on the strait, barring vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States, following U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, starting on Feb. 28. The United States has also imposed a naval blockade on the strait, preventing ships traveling to and from Iranian ports from transiting the waterway.