The European Union (EU) is preparing new restrictions against Iran in response to the large-scale and brutal repression of protests in Iran.
This was stated by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaya Kallas, during hearings on Iran in the parliament in Strasbourg.
Kallas pointed out that the EU has already imposed broad sanctions on Iran for human rights violations, nuclear activities and support for Russia in the war against Ukraine.
The EU is currently proposing additional restrictions on the export of components that could be used in the production of Iranian drones and missiles, and is also preparing new sanctions related to the repression of protesters.
"Iran is experiencing the largest demonstrations in recent years. Participants are demanding freedom, dignity and the right to determine their own future," she said, adding that authorities are responding to peaceful protests with violence, with thousands of people killed in recent weeks, as Iranian officials themselves have acknowledged.
She also noted that the EU has demanded that Tehran immediately release all unjustly detained individuals, restore internet access and stop the violence. According to Kallas, the actions of the Iranian authorities pose a threat to regional security and increase the risk of further escalation.
Some parliamentarians have proposed that Reza Pahlavi, the last representative of the Iranian Shah dynasty, address the European Parliament, citing his calls for protests. However, other MEPs have strongly criticized these initiatives, saying that replacing one regime that suppresses freedoms with another is unacceptable. They have also called for the activities of Iranian embassies in European countries to be limited.
Speaking during the debates, MEPs called on the European Commission to impose new and tough sanctions on Iran and to designate the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation. Kallas stressed that designating the IRGC as a terrorist organisation remains a matter of debate, but that there is still no consensus on this issue among all EU member states.
She also said that the situation in Iran and the crackdown on protesters will be discussed at the EU Council meeting next week.
