In a meeting held in the Parliament of the European Union, the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the Union, Joseph Burrell, stated today (Monday) that the European Union will impose “particularly severe” sanctions against Iran. This, against the background of the violent repression imposed by the regime on the participants in the “hijab protest”, following the death of the young woman Mahasa Amini, and the arms shipments to Russia during its war in Ukraine. Also, it was reported in the “Reuters” news agency that the sanctions will also be imposed on Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
In the meantime, Burrell emphasized that the European Union will take every action to support the young women and the peaceful protesters in the Islamic Republic, and that “the European Union will approve a package of severe sanctions against Iran.” In a meeting between the foreign ministers of the Union, it was agreed that the sanctions would be imposed within the framework of the violation of human rights in the Islamic Republic and the supply of drones by the Iranian regime to Russia.
Also, sources privy to the details said that new sanctions against Russia are also on the agenda, but it is not clear if Hungary will be able to block certain decisions related to this. Following this, diplomats in the Union condemned Hungary and called its actions “diplomacy of extortion”, due to a dispute over the funds that have not yet been transferred to Budapest’s hands.
As mentioned, the “hijab protest” continues to wash over Iran, as does the regime’s violent repression. An Iranian court sentenced five civilians to death who were convicted of the killing of Rukhullah Ajamian, an officer in the Basij militia, affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, during last month’s protests and riots in the city of Karaj. Eight other citizens were sentenced to prison terms. This, after it was reported that students who organized a protest in Tehran were poisoned – and felt body pains and suffered from hallucinations. According to the report of the Persian News Agency, about 1,200 students were poisoned just one night before they were supposed to take part in a mass protest against the regime. To their surprise, they discovered that the clinics on the campuses had been closed without notice.