The protests in Iran: Europe's responsibility in times of crisis

The current protests in Iran that started at the end of December 2025 mark a new peak in the country's political, economic, and social crisis. Faced with choking levels of inflation, anaemic economic growth, the breakdown of public infrastructure, a protracted water crisis, and intolerable political repression, including gender-based oppression, the Iranian people have taken to the streets to demand comprehensive political change - again. 

Decades of mismanagement of natural resources, cronyism, and the obstruction of personal and economic freedoms, together with international isolation, have brought the country to breaking point. The EU, home to a vibrant and large Iranian diaspora, cannot stand aside idly while the Iranian government confronts the justified demands of the Iranian people with deadly force.

There is no sign that the Iranian regime, seemingly more interested in clinging to power than in improving the living conditions of Iranians, will listen to those people. Just as it had with earlier movements, such as the Jin-Jyian-Azadi protests, which highlighted the abysmal human rights situation of women in Iran, Iran’s leaders are reacting with more repression and political violence. In particular, the drastic restriction of the internet is of great concern. This restriction is used by the authorities not only to monitor protests and block communications, but also to take targeted action against demonstrators with violence, mass arrests, and even executions. Furthermore, it limits the ability of the Iranian population to speak to the world and exercise their human rights.

As the Iranian people, especially young people and women, suffers from economic hardship, restricted access to healthcare, and a lack of political and personal prospects, we call on the EU and its Member States to take a clear stand, and actively support the people of Iran as follows:

1. Political solidarity: The EU’s political leadership and EU Member States must explicitly support the protests, condemn the regime's violence, and demand respect for human rights, including substantial political support for the people to form a democratic government.

2. Humanitarian support: EU-wide support for Iranians in exile must be guaranteed and at-risk political activists must be protected. Deportations to Iran must be suspended and visa procedures eased.

3. Targeted sanctions: Those responsible for human rights violations, in particular the revolutionary guards who continue to serve as the regime’s main tool in oppressing and terrorising civil society, should be subject to targeted measures, without placing additional burdens on the civilian population.

4. Protection of digital freedom: The EU should promote secure communication channels and provide technologies that ensure the flow of information within the country and circumvent censorship.

We at Volt stand firmly alongside the protesters, who are fighting for their rights, and call for a consistent, coordinated response from the EU. The people of Iran deserve the prospect of a better, democratic future, free of the choking constraints of a theocratic authoritarian regime and with the opportunities to capitalise on the innovativeness of Iranian civil society. Facing a world where the breakdown of the international order and the climate crisis pose serious challenges, especially to Iran, the EU could become a partner for a democratic Iran. For this to happen however, fundamental political change must happen in Iran - as the demonstrators are demanding.

Opinion piece by Maral Koohestanian & Sahak Ibrahimkhil

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