EU approves sanctions on Iranian officials over human rights violations

Kallas said the measures target individuals and entities responsible for internal repression in Iran and stressed that the European Union will continue to defend its interests.

“The EU is also sending a signal to Tehran that Iran’s future cannot be built on repression,” she said.

According to Kallas, the new sanctions package targets 19 Iranian officials and institutions.

In January, the Iranian opposition television channel Iran International reported that at least 12,000 people had been killed during protests in Iran.

Anti-government demonstrations erupted across the country in late 2025. The protests began in Tehran, where local business owners voiced anger over worsening economic conditions and the sharp decline of the national currency, the rial.

Last year, the Iranian rial lost nearly half its value against the U.S. dollar, while inflation reached 42.5% in December.

The protests spread even to regions traditionally considered loyal to the clerical regime.

On Feb. 28, the United States and Israel launched a joint operation against the Iranian regime. Airstrikes killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, after which the country’s Assembly of Experts selected his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, as his successor.