European Parliament President Roberta Metsola has called on her EU counterparts to impose much tougher sanctions on Tehran, including listing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation.
In a letter she sent on Tuesday to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, obtained by Euractiv, Metsola also suggested expanding the number of regime officials sanctioned by the EU for “repression and human rights violations,” and imposing tighter controls on exports of technology that could be used for surveillance and repressing protests.
“I believe it is essential that the European Union demonstrates a coherent and united institutional response,” Metsola wrote. The European Parliament does not have a formal role in imposing sanctions, which must be proposed by the Commission and then agreed unanimously among the 27 national governments.
The Parliament has for years called for the listing of the IRGC as a terrorist group – but the Commission and Council have yet to do so.
The Parliament is poised to call for fresh sanctions at its plenary session in Strasbourg next week, heaping more pressure on the other EU institutions.
“A coordinated and principled response across the EU institutions remains essential to uphold the Union’s credibility and its commitment to protection of human rights,” Metsola said. She also suggested that the bloc should engage with telecoms companies to see how to restore the internet to the Iranian people, and consider trade-related sanctions “in order to maximise pressure on the regime.”
On Monday, Metsola banned Iranian diplomats from entering the Parliament, giving Iran the same status as Russia and Belarus.
Metsola’s comments came after Kaja Kallas, the EU’s top diplomat, told reporters on Tuesday that the EU was considering imposing sanctions on those “using violence against the peaceful protesters.”
“The EU already has sweeping sanctions in place on Iran, on those responsible for the human rights abuses, nuclear proliferation, and Tehran’s support for Russia’s war, and we are discussing on putting additional sanctions,” Kallas said during a visit to Berlin.
Von der Leyen posted on social media on Tuesday that sanctions on “those responsible for the repression will be swiftly proposed,” and added that the IRGC is already subject to the EU’s sanctions regime.
Neither von der Leyen nor Kallas has yet given any hint about what could be contained in the sanctions package, other than saying they will target those responsible for the violent suppression of protests.
The next meeting of the foreign affairs council, where ministers could discuss sanctions on Iran, is 29 January.
(jp)