EU vows swift sanctions on Iran over 'horrifying' casualties
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said Tuesday Brussels would "swiftly" propose new sanctions on Iran, after a dramatic increase in casualties from a crackdown on mass protests.
"The rising number of casualties in Iran is horrifying. I unequivocally condemn the excessive use of force and continued restriction of freedom," she posted online.
"Further sanctions on those responsible for the repression will be swiftly proposed," she added.
The EU has expressed its backing for Iranians participating in the nationwide protests that pose one of the biggest challenges to the clerical leadership since the 1979 Islamic revolution ousted the shah.
The EU has already sanctioned several hundred Iranian officials over crackdowns on previous protest movements and Tehran's support for Russia's war on Ukraine.
There have been calls for the EU to designate Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps a "terrorist" organisation but so far Brussels has argued it does not have the legal grounds to make that move.
In her post online, von der Leyen reiterated that the EU has already placed the Revolutionary Guards on an asset freeze and visa ban blacklist over rights abuses.
