Clear signal against brutal violence in Iran

The Federal Government has strongly supported the listing of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organisation within the EU. The Federal Chancellor made it clear on X: "It is a clear signal against the brutal violence in Iran: The EU's classification of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organisation makes it clear that Iranians demonstrating peacefully must not be silenced. We stand by their side."

On 29 January 2026, the EU Foreign Affairs Council took the political decision to list the Iranian Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organisation. The formal decision is still pending. The Federal Government expects this in the near future.

Federal Government welcomes EU listing of Iranian Revolutionary Guards

Foreign Minister Wadephul was also clear: the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and their auxiliaries, he said, "are the ones who are acting with immeasurable brutality against their own people, who have literally executed their own people because they dared to raise their voices on the streets".

He said that they were responsible for the destabilising role that Iran was playing in the region and were behind attempted attacks in Germany and in Europe. For years, said Wadephul, the Federal Government had been pushing for the Revolutionary Guards to be listed as a terrorist organisation in the EU. "I expressly welcome the fact that the other EU member states have now followed our arguments."

Further EU sanctions

Together with the other EU member states, the Federal Government wants to hold "those responsible for the brutal suppression of the protests" to account, said Foreign Minister Wadephul on 29 January at the meeting of EU foreign ministers.

"That is why we have also now imposed individual sanctions on a whole series of people who bear political responsibility and abuse the justice system to constantly suppress people. Their crimes must not go unanswered either," declared the Federal Foreign Minister.

Germany stands by the Iranian people

Chancellor Merz firmly believes that "If a regime can only hold on to power through sheer violence and terror against its own people, its days are numbered," as he said at a press conference with Romania's Prime Minister Bolojan.

The Federal Republic of Germany stands "on the side of the Iranian people. We stand by the people of the country. We can see the fate of women. We can see the fate of those who oppose this regime. We are trying to achieve this by imposing sanctions and making our support clear."

Concern over reports of high death toll

"We are extremely concerned about the reports of the high number of casualties and wounded," emphasised the Federal Government in a joint statement by the G7 foreign ministers and the High Representative of the European Union, Kaja Kallas, on 14 January. "We condemn the deliberate use of violence and the killing of protesters, arbitrary arrests and the intimidation tactics used by the security forces against demonstrators."

We are seeing "more and more people from all parts of society taking to the streets across the country. They are demonstrating peacefully for freedom and for a better life in their country," the Federal Chancellor also said previously during his trip to India from 11 to 13 January. "These people deserve the greatest recognition for the courage with which they are resisting the disproportionate, brutal violence of the Iranian security forces," emphasised the Chancellor.

Regime's violence an expression of weakness

The Federal Government strongly condemns the violence directed by the leadership in Tehran against its own people: "This violence is not an expression of strength; it is an expression of weakness. This violence must end," demanded Chancellor Merz.

He took the opportunity during his trip to India to once again call on the Iranian regime to "stop this violence immediately". If a regime can only hold on to power by force, then it is effectively finished, he said. "I assume that we are currently seeing the last days and weeks of this regime. For the population it has no legitimacy through elections anyway, and the population is now rising up against this regime," the Federal Chancellor continued.

In close dialogue with international partners

The Chancellor hopes "that there is a way to end this conflict peacefully". The Federal Government is in close dialogue with the US government and European governments. "Foreign policymakers, including foreign ministers, are in very close contact with each other in order to ensure that there can now be a peaceful transition to a democratically legitimised government in Iran," the Federal Chancellor also explained while on his trip to India.

The Federal Government had already made its position clear in a joint declaration with Great Britain's Prime Minister Starmer and French President Macron as part of the E3 on 9 January. The Federal Foreign Office also summoned the Iranian ambassador.

Sanctions against Iran

The EU has already adopted several sanctions packages against Iran due to the human rights situation. The Federal Government has expressly supported and promoted them. Sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme are also in effect again - at the initiative of Germany, Great Britain and France.

The protests were triggered by the massive economic crisis and a sudden collapse of Iran's currency, the rial. The demonstrations have now spread from the capital Tehran to large parts of the country.

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