Describing the situation in Iran as “abominable” and the massacre of young demonstrators as “a human tragedy”, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, stressed on Thursday 15 January that the Iranian people had the full support of Europe.
“The Iranian people are bravely fighting for change. They have our full support, our full political support”, she stressed alongside the Cypriot President, Nikos Christodoulides, at the meeting between the Cypriot government and the European College of Commissioners in Limassol.
The President announced that the EU was “seriously” considering strengthening sanctions against Iran. The Iranian people “are also asking us to draw up a list not only of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, as we have done, but also others responsible for the atrocities”, she explained, saying that the European sanctions were “biting”. “They are weapons that weaken the regime and help to hasten its downfall and the advent of change”, she said.
The United States has announced sanctions against five Iranian officials accused of being behind the repression and has declared that it is monitoring transfers of funds by Iranian leaders to international banks.
In a joint statement published on Thursday 15 January, the foreign ministers of the G7 countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States) and the EU High Representative also said they were prepared to impose additional restrictive measures “if Iran continues to repress demonstrations and dissent in violation of its international human rights obligations”.
Asked about possible American or Israeli action on Iran, Ms von der Leyen declined to comment.
In a joint statement, the ministers and the High Representative strongly condemn the intensification of the “brutal” repression by the Iranian authorities against the Iranian people, “who have been bravely voicing legitimate aspirations for a better life, dignity and freedom, since the end of December 2025”.
“We condemn the deliberate use of violence and the killing of protestors, arbitrary detention, and intimidation tactics by security forces against demonstrators”, they added. More than 3,400 demonstrators are thought to have been killed.
The G7 urged the Iranian authorities to show the utmost restraint, refrain from violence and respect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of Iranian citizens.
See the statement: https://aeur.eu/f/k99 (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)