The European Union is set to propose new sanctions against Iran swiftly, following the deaths of several individuals during recent protests in the country. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced this in a post on social media platform X.
Von der Leyen expressed her horror at the increasing number of victims in Iran, condemning the excessive use of force and ongoing restrictions on freedom. She stated that further sanctions targeting those responsible for the repression would be proposed soon.
Protests in Iran commenced on December 28, with citizens expressing their discontent over soaring inflation. The demonstrations have since evolved into broader criticism of the clerical regime that has governed Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
According to the Norway-based human rights organization Iran Human Rights (IHR), at least 648 protesters have been killed during the unrest, though the actual figure may be significantly higher. An unnamed Iranian government source has claimed the death toll could be around 2,000, a figure that remains unverified.
Iran has experienced a nationwide internet shutdown since Thursday, hindering efforts to ascertain the full scale of the protests and the death toll.
The EU has previously imposed sanctions on several hundred Iranian officials for their actions against earlier protest movements and for Iran’s support of Russia in the war against Ukraine, as reported by the AFP news agency. In her post, von der Leyen reiterated that the Revolutionary Guard is already on the sanctions list due to human rights violations.
“We stand together with the Iranian people, who are bravely fighting for their freedom,” von der Leyen wrote on X.
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