PARIS (AP) 鈥� French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday the West should step up sanctions against Iran by targeting government officials who are part of the in the Islamic Republic.
Iranian women 鈥� and some men 鈥� have been protesting the government鈥檚 severe restrictions on their daily life since late September after the death of a 22-year-old Mahsa Amini following her arrest for allegedly violating the Islamic Republic鈥檚 strict dress code.
Tens of thousands of people across France and protests with rebelling Iranians, demanding freedom for women and French music and film stars, including two Oscar-winning actors, filmed themselves chopping off locks of their hair in support of protesters in Iran.
鈥淲omen in Iran fight this fight with exceptional courage under the threat to their lives and the lives of their loved ones,鈥� Macron told public radio FranceInter in a broadcast Monday.
Their rebellion against the cleric-led state has 鈥渂urst the ideological bubble鈥� that Tehran has been sending to the world, Macron said, namely that Iranians don鈥檛 want Western values and that women there 鈥渨ere somehow happy to live in this constant state of obstruction.鈥�
The ongoing protests of young Iranians born after the 1979 toppling of the monarchy who have only lived in the Shiite cleric-led state has proven them wrong, Macron said.
鈥淭he grandchildren of the (Islamic) revolution are leading a revolution against that revolution,鈥� Macron said.
He added that the West needs to support them in their struggle, including by toughening European sanctions targeting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
鈥淚 am in favor of a strong diplomatic reaction and sanctions on the regime鈥檚 personalities who are in responsible for the repression of this revolution,鈥� Macron said.
His comments were recorded after his meeting Friday in Paris with four activists campaigning for Iranian women鈥檚 rights from exile.
Iran Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani blasted Macron for meeting with the activists, who included two U.S.-based Iranian dissidents, Masih Alinejad and Ladan Boroumand. Kanaani on Monday warned Macron that supporting Iranian dissidents 鈥渨hose true nature is known by the Iranian people鈥� is a 鈥渨rong, short-sighted policy" that could endanger France's 鈥渓ong-term interests鈥� in the region.
The Associated Press
