Brussels – The Iranian opposition is calling on the European Union to go beyond sanctions and adopt a stronger stance against the regime of the Ayatollahs. Demonstrators from the National Council of Resistance in Iran (NCRI) gathered during the European Council summit, urging an end to the EU’s “appeasement policy” and demanding that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) be added to the EU’s list of terrorist organizations.
Kamran Dalir, a member of the NCRI’s Foreign Affairs Committee, explained the reason for the protest, noting that while the opposition condemns Israel’s actions in the Palestinian territories, they believe Iran is escalating tensions to distract from its own domestic repression. Dalir emphasized that the Iranian people are not asking for external intervention to bring democracy to Iran but are calling for a more resolute European stance in support of their struggle.
Shahin Gobadi, another NCRI member, echoed the sentiment, stating that EU policies have not only enabled the regime’s oppressive actions but have also allowed Iranian terrorism to extend into Europe. He pointed to extensive evidence of the IRGC’s involvement in global terrorism and criticized the EU’s slow response.
Though the European Union is considering measures against the IRGC, the legal complexities of labeling a national military body as a terrorist organization have caused delays. Despite this, the Iranian opposition is urging swift action.
For security reasons, the demonstration was kept away from the European Council building, but the protesters, waving pre-revolutionary Iranian flags, made their message clear. They chanted for democracy and called for the EU to take a stronger role in confronting the Iranian regime.