The European Union’s foreign policy head, Kaja Kallas, has expressed readiness to propose fresh sanctions against Iran over its violent crackdown on nationwide protests.
The comments were reported by the German newspaper Die Welt and cited by the DPA news agency on Sunday night.
Kallas stated that the EU has already imposed heavy sanctions on Iran targeting human rights violators, its expanding nuclear programme, and the country’s support for Russia in the war against Ukraine.
She noted her willingness to introduce additional measures in response to Iran’s brutal repression of demonstrators.
Initial plans for new sanctions could involve travel bans and asset freezes against those responsible for the violence, including potentially high-ranking officials such as ministers, according to DPA.
The protests began in Tehran on 28 December when shopkeepers shut down their businesses to highlight hyperinflation and deepening economic woes.
The movement has since broadened into calls for political change and has been met with a bloody crackdown, with NGOs reporting dozens, possibly hundreds, of deaths.
Kallas condemned the Iranian regime, accusing it of “stifling dissent for a long time.”
Since Thursday, authorities have cut off internet and phone networks across the country, making it difficult to verify information.
These protests, primarily driven by the cost-of-living crisis, are the largest seen in Iran since the widespread unrest following the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini, who died in custody after being detained for allegedly wearing her headscarf improperly.
