Because the Iranian regime continues to refuse to fulfill its obligations under the international nuclear agreement, the E3 (Germany, France, and the United Kingdom) have activated the snapback mechanism, and the EU reimposed its sanctions on Iran on September 29. This sends a clear signal: violations of international law will not go unpunished. The measures include freezing the assets of Iran’s central and several commercial banks, travel bans for senior government officials, and a comprehensive ban on the purchase and transport of Iranian crude oil. In the European Parliament, we debated how Europe’s strategy toward Tehran must go beyond the snapback — with a clear approach based on pressure, diplomacy, and support for civil society.

In my speech, I emphasized: the snapback of sanctions was long overdue. For too long, we have watched the Iranian regime bend rules, break agreements, and deceive the international community. But sanctions alone do not create security. The regime continues to terrorize its own people — through executions, torture, and the systematic crushing of protests. At the same time, it is arming its regional allies, supplying drones to Russia, and thereby directly contributing to the destruction of Ukraine. A regime that spreads fear at home and exports aggression abroad will not be stopped by isolation alone, but by a strong, united, and credible European policy. We must close the loopholes through which Iranian elites continue to secure money, technology, and influence — and at the same time show the people of Iran that Europe stands by their side.

The most effective way to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran is to break the cycle of violence, fear, and impunity that keeps this regime alive. That means consequences for those responsible for the violence — and support for those in Iran who continue to fight for freedom, justice, and human dignity despite all repression.