EU considers lifting sanctions against Iran premature

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has dismissed the idea of lifting sanctions on Iran at this stage, speaking before the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in Berlin.

Ursula von der Leyen stressed that Brussels will wait for concrete steps from Tehran and a fundamental shift in its current political direction before considering any relaxation of restrictive measures.

"We first have to ⁠see ⁠a change, a fundamental change in Iran for the dropping of sanctions",

Ursula von der Leyen said.

Existing EU sanctions have placed several hundred Iranian individuals and companies on blacklists. These measures impose a full asset freeze within Europe and a strict ban on entry into EU member states.