European Union and Iran at a Crossroads: Examining the Need for an Independent Strategy and Countering Threats from the Islamic Republic
According to the Balochistan Human Rights Group, on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, a conference titled “The European Union and Iran at a Crossroads” was held at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Amid escalating internal repression by the Islamic Republic and its resulting security threats, the conference emphasized the urgent need for a serious review of the European Union’s policies toward Iran. Attended by human rights activists, political experts, and European Parliament members, the event focused particularly on the growing dangers posed by the Islamic Republic’s actions to regional and European security. It called on European representatives to adopt an independent and coordinated policy to play a more responsible role in confronting the Islamic Republic.
The conference, hosted by the ECR and EPP political groups and organized by the Stratura Institute, featured an opening speech by Lucas Mandl, a Member of the European Parliament from the EPP group. The session was moderated by Maryam Banihashemi, a strategic advisor and human rights activist. Notable panelists, including Babak Behzadi from Iran’s Constitutionalist Party, Dr. Sima Sabet, an independent journalist, Shiva Mahbobi, spokesperson for the Campaign to Free Political Prisoners, and Naser Bolidei, a Baloch human rights activist, presented their perspectives and analyses.
Various segments of the conference addressed key issues, including a field analysis of repression and political prisoners, intensified pressure on ethnic and religious minorities, and the Islamic Republic’s threatening transnational activities, such as terrorism, hostage-taking, and cyberattacks. The potential activation of the snapback mechanism for reimposing sanctions by European countries and its implications were also discussed.
At the conclusion of the conference, participants warned of the consequences of continued appeasement of the Islamic Republic and urged the European Union to adopt a realistic, value-driven, and supportive strategy aligned with the interests of the Iranian people and Europe’s long-term security. Neglecting this strategic responsibility would not only perpetuate the suffering of the Iranian people but also expand the scope of threats posed by the Islamic Republic.
