The European Union will move quickly to propose additional sanctions on those responsible for the violent repression of protests in Iran, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday, as reports of mounting casualties fuel international outrage.
"The rising number of casualties in Iran is horrifying," von der Leyen wrote on social media platform X. She condemned what she described as the excessive use of force and the continued curtailment of basic freedoms, pledging a firm response from Brussels.
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The EU has already taken a hard line by listing Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in its entirety under its human rights sanctions regime. The move marked a significant escalation in the bloc's pressure campaign against Tehran over its treatment of protesters.
Von der Leyen said the next round of sanctions is being prepared in close coordination with the EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, signaling broad political backing within the bloc for tougher measures. "We stand with the people of Iran who are bravely marching for their liberty," she said.