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Metsola voiced some of the strongest condemnations of the Iranian regime among Brussels institutions, arguing that additional sanctions should be placed on the agenda immediately and that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps should be added to the EU’s terrorist list.

“We are horrified by what is happening in Iran, and we cannot remain silent when we see the regime using violence, repression and abuse to crush what we believe are fundamental freedoms,” she said.

Earlier this week, the European Parliament president barred Iranian diplomats from entering the parliament building. She also called for a swift response to the violent crackdown on protesters in Iran, which the international community considers a red line. Civil groups say more than 2,000 people have been killed.

Following the violent suppression of protests, the EU is discussing listing Iran’s Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organization, a move that would require additional punitive measures.

Metsola said she supports designating the group as a terrorist organization and noted that the European Parliament has long lobbied for Iran’s most feared military unit to be labeled as such. In 2023, a parliamentary resolution called for the Revolutionary Guards to be added to the EU’s list of terrorist organizations.

Referring to the “Women, Life, Freedom” movement that emerged after the killing of Mahsa Amini, Metsola said: “This has been the position of the European Parliament for years, since we saw brave women in the streets of Iran calling for freedom, rights and dignity.”

According to Metsola, the Iranian regime is now “breathing its last,” and the European Union has a “golden” opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to freedom by supporting protesters and punishing perpetrators, as well as to assert itself as a player in the region.

Metsola also argued that action should be taken without waiting for possible plans for intervention in Iran, floated as an option by U.S. President Donald Trump, to be finalized.