European Parliament, on Monday, banned all diplomatic staff and other representatives of Iran from all European parliament premises amid the ongoing anti-government protests in the Islamic Republic – which has entered its third week.
"It cannot be business as usual. As the brave people of Iran continue to stand up for their rights and their liberty, today I have taken the decision to ban all diplomatic staff and any other representatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran from all European Parliament premises. This House will not aid in legitimising this regime that has sustained itself through torture, repression and murder," EU Parliament president Roberta Metsola posted on X.
Metsola served as the president of the European Parliament since January 2022. She is a member of Malta's Nationalist Party (PN) and the European People's Party (EPP).
Iran has been roiled by protests since 28 December. What started as an unrest after the Iranian rial collapsed and prices surged, significantly impacting living costs – quickly spread across the nation and turned into a call for the upheaval of the Ayatollah Khamenei-led government.
Crowds set fire to the streets and chanted “Death to Khamenei”, directly challenging the supreme leader, who holds ultimate authority over the nation’s religious and state affairs.
Khamenei govt mobilises pro-govt supporters
Thousands of Iranians filled a major square in central Tehran on Monday to support the Islamic republic and mourn security forces killed during protests, state television pictures showed.
People waving Iran's flag packed the capital's Enghelab (Revolution) Square as prayers were read for victims of what the government has termed "riots".
Iran ‘ready for negotiations’ but ‘prepared for war’
While the clerical establishment that rules the Islamic Republic is facing the biggest nationwide protests since 2022, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday said the nation is ready for negotiations, based on ‘mutual respect.’
The foreign minister's call for negotiations came amid US President Donald Trump's repeated threats of US 'action' even before a meeting, if force is used on protesters in Iran, where the demonstrations have reportedly left over 500 people dead.
According to the Human Rights Activist News Agency (HRANA), the media arm of the human rights activists group in Iran, at least 544 people have been killed over the past 15 days of protests, including eight children.
Earlier, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that the leaders of Iran had called up and that they “want to negotiate”. He, however, added that "we (US) may have to act before a meeting".
