EU Says Sanctions on Iran Will Stay Until Real Change Is Verified

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Sunday that the European Union will not lift sanctions on Iran at this stage. She said sanctions are meant to change behavior, and that only a credible, concrete, and verifiable shift in Iran’s conduct would allow Brussels to reconsider its policy.

Von der Leyen stressed that there must be a real change on the ground before any easing is considered. “Sanctions exist to change behavior,” she said, adding that once behavior changes in a way that can be checked, the sanctions can be reviewed. Until then, she said, the pressure on Tehran will remain in place.

Her remarks reflect the EU position that sanctions relief depends on practical steps, not statements alone. The bloc currently imposes a range of measures on Iran, including asset freezes and travel bans on Iranian officials, entities, and organizations.

The EU also restricts exports of equipment that could be used for internal repression, surveillance, and communications. Additional sanctions relate to Iran’s nuclear program, its missile and drone programs, and military support for Russia in the war in Ukraine. In recent years, the EU has expanded its sanctions lists in response to human rights violations and the crackdown on protests in Iran.