Response to interpellation 2023/24:7 on Iran's attacks on Kurds
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
1 M states that the government views the situation in Iran with the utmost seriousness and that Sweden has strongly condemned violations of human rights through bilateral talks and international forums 1. 2 M states that the EU is the most important platform for Iran policy and that Sweden has been proactive in sharpening EU policy through council conclusions on human rights 2. 2 M emphasizes that sanctions are a central tool and that Sweden supports international pressure against Iran's actions 2. 3 M views it as positive that Iran and Iraq have reached a diplomatic solution and that Sweden has supported the EU's new sanctions regime against Iranian drones 3. 4 M states that maintaining diplomatic channels is a prerequisite for being able to act in difficult consular matters 4. 4 M states that the government is actively working with detained Swedish citizens in dialogue and with support from the EU 4. 4 M states that they continue to raise the situation for human rights, including for ethnic and religious minorities, in direct contacts with Iran 4. 4 M states that they continue to work for the strongest possible support and line against the Iranian regime's oppression within the framework of EU unity 4. 4 M states that they continue to work to maintain pressure on Iran bilaterally, through the EU and in the UN 4.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
Speakers (13)
Utrikesministern Tobias Billström (M)
Mr. Speaker! Ola Möller has asked me what measures I intend to take to prevent the Iranian regime from again attacking the Kurds in and outside Iran.
As I have mentioned in previous interpellations and also in response to several parliamentary questions as well as in other contexts, the government views the situation in Iran with the utmost seriousness. It remains very difficult.
Religious and central ethnic minorities, of which the Kurds constitute one of the country's largest, are particularly vulnerable. Many Kurds experience discrimination. Kurdish activists have in recent years been arrested, imprisoned, and executed for crimes against state security. A number of Kurdish organizations are banned.
I share the questioner's concern regarding the situation in Iran. In light of the developments over the past year, which, according to among others the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, have disproportionately affected the country's Kurdish and Baloch minorities, the government has strongly condemned the Iranian authorities' violations of human rights, both in statements and in direct talks with Iranian representatives.
In addition to the bilateral dialogue, Sweden has also worked within both the EU and the UN to increase the political pressure on Iran. It is strategically important for Sweden to be able to act through international forums to ensure that the messages and measures undertaken achieve broad impact and thus become as effective as possible.
In his report to the UN Human Rights Council earlier this year, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, Javaid Rehman, also addressed the situation of the Kurdish minority in Iran and the deadly violence that Iranian authorities have exerted against them, both domestically and across international borders. Sweden wholeheartedly supports the Special Rapporteur's work.
The Government also stands behind the EU statement made in November 2022 which condemned Iran's attacks against targets in the Iraqi region of Kurdistan in the strongest possible terms and emphasized the importance of respecting Iraq's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
It can be stated that since last year, a process has been ongoing between Iran and Iraq to de-escalate the situation along the border. The UN mission in Iraq, Unami, has enabled the dialogue that in March this year resulted in a security agreement between Iraq and Iran, which the regional Kurdish autonomy in the northern parts of Iraq has also pledged to respect.
Sweden will continue to raise human rights – including the situation of ethnic and religious minorities – in our bilateral dialogue with Iran, as well as in international forums.
Ola Möller (S)
Mr. Speaker! Thank you for the answer, Minister for Foreign Affairs!
I want to start by expressing full understanding and awareness. I truly believe that the government thinks what you are saying. It is not that I doubt that the government does. I want to say that, so that no one thinks that we in any way have any conflict in that we stand for human rights. I truly believe that Sweden's government does.
I also think that politics is, as a man wrote on his blog 15 years ago: It is about daring to do things, to make decisions and to carry out what one says shall be done. Voters and citizens need to receive straight answers about what those they have voted for actually want.
The man in question is today the Minister for Foreign Affairs in Sweden. The man in question is named Tobias Billström and thought 15 years ago that politics is about delivering straight answers: What does one actually want to do?
Given the regime we are dealing with, condemnation is quite weak. It doesn't care. It is completely obvious. It is also considering that the regime murders its own population. It does not only apply to those who protest, but it also murders little girls. One desecrates graves, and one imprisons and tortures not only its own citizens but also quite obviously citizens of other countries as a deliberate strategy.
Here, Sweden and our Foreign Minister, who believes that one should be clear about what one actually wants, need to act more clearly. Right now, just as in previous debates about Israel and Palestine, Sweden's voice is being tied up by countries such as Poland, Hungary, and others in the EU cooperation who perhaps do not want to push forward as strongly against authoritarian states. It is then extremely important that we in Sweden have our own voice. We cannot hide behind a flag of EU community and not dare to stand up for the proud Swedish tradition of saying what one actually thinks.
Therefore, I wonder about two things in the discussion. One question has been touched upon in previous debates here. It concerns the handshake with the Iranian Foreign Minister the other day. After that, Iran was clear about what it demanded from Sweden. Iran set demands on Sweden. It is unreasonable, I would like to say, but they did it. My question is: What demands did Sweden set on Iran? I have not seen anything at all about that. Exactly what demands did Tobias Billström set on Iran's Foreign Minister?
The second point concerns more direct action. In these times, we know how important it is that a government acts here and now, and not with fluffy promises in three years. My question is whether Tobias Billström could consider using the method that has previously been used in the area to stop massacres, that is, a no-fly zone.
Could the Foreign Minister imagine considering establishing a no-fly zone in the area? Many of the attacks being carried out, and especially those occurring in Iraq, are carried out with bombs and aircraft. It would have been a very good position that does not mean we are probing without us demanding that the Kurdish people in Iran and Iraq be protected. Tell the citizens now, Tobias Billström, what Tobias Billström actually wants!
Kadir Kasirga (S)
Mr. Speaker! First and foremost, I would like to thank my fellow Member of Parliament Ola Möller for raising this important issue. I would also like to extend a thank you to Foreign Minister Tobias Billström for the answer.
Mr. Speaker! Alongside the persecution of religious minorities such as Bahais, trade union activists, LGBTQ activists, democracy fighters and women, the Islamist regime has also since 1979 persecuted the Kurdish people who live and reside in Iran.
Looking at the latest reports, which the Foreign Minister also cited, it is clearly evident that the majority of the country's political prisoners are of Kurdish origin. Many of them risk long prison sentences or the death penalty. The Kurds in Iran have attempted to persuade the Islamist regime into negotiations on autonomy and democracy, but without result.
The mullahs in Iran have responded to all invitations for democratic dialogue with oppression and murder, not only in Iran but also outside Iran's borders. On July 13, 1989, Abdul Rahman Ghassemlou was murdered in Austria. He was the party chairman of Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran. In 1992, Sadegh Sharafkandi, who was also the party chairman of Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran, was murdered. He was murdered in Berlin by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. On September 8, 2018, the headquarters of KDPI, Kurdistan Democratic Party, in Iraqi Kurdistan was attacked with missiles. At that time, 16 people were killed.
Mr. Speaker! Since the Islamist regime took power in 1979, thousands of Iranian Kurds have moved to Iraqi Kurdistan to find safety. But despite this, Iran has continued with persecutions, and hundreds of opposition Kurds have been murdered by Iranian agents in Iraqi Kurdistan.
Mr. Speaker! The questions remain. I think the Minister for Foreign Affairs gives a detailed answer. But action is also needed when one provides such an answer.
We see a long list of Iran's violations of human rights and against international law. Therefore, powerful action is needed from the international community but also from Sweden. Sweden can take the lead in such an offensive against Iran.
The Kurds in Iran, in Iraq and also in Rojava need protection from the rest of the world, because Iran is today threatening Iraqi Kurdistan and the Kurdish regional government with a military offensive if the central government in Baghdad and the government in Hewlêr do not hand over the Kurdish leaders from Iraq. This is very serious. It could trigger a new wave of refugees from the region towards Europe.
What does the Minister for Foreign Affairs intend to do to prevent such a catastrophe?
Serkan Köse (S)
Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Ola Möller, for drawing our attention to the Iranian regime's despicable plans and attacks on Kurdish targets in the Kurdistan region! Thanks also to the Minister for Foreign Affairs for the answer!
Mr. Speaker! Iran's plans to attack Kurdish oppositionists in the Kurdistan region is nothing new. As my colleague Kadir Kasirga explained, the regime and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard have over the years carried out repeated missile attacks against Kurdish opposition parties. Children have been murdered. Villages have been bombed.
These actions continue, Mr. Speaker, despite strong condemnations from the Kurdish regional government that Iran not only undermines Iraq's sovereignty, as the Foreign Minister says in his response, but also threatens the stability and peace of the entire region. This has claimed the lives of innocent people, including children and women. Villages have been wiped out. It is high time that those responsible are held accountable for these gross crimes against humanity and international law.
We remember with sorrow and disgust the murder of KDPI's general secretary Ghassemlou in Vienna in 1989, which Kadir Kasirga detailed, and the attack against the village of Koya in 2018 - among many other attacks. It demonstrates the depth of the Iranian regime's and the Revolutionary Guard's cruelty and their complete nonchalance towards human rights and international law. But despite all these atrocities, it is still not considered that the Revolutionary Guard should be classified as a terrorist organization.
I welcome Foreign Minister Tobias Billström's and the government's commitment and appreciate that Sweden is working within the EU and the UN for the Kurds' situation. I do not doubt for a second that the Foreign Minister has a great commitment to these issues. But, Mr. Speaker, with the escalating abuses, it is crucial that Sweden continues to highlight these issues and continuously sheds light on the violations of human rights in Iran. It is our duty, Mr. Speaker. With the constantly deteriorating situation, it is important that Sweden continues to work to draw attention to the repeated violations and abuses against Kurds in Iran and in Iraq but also in the region.
In view of this, I would like to ask if the Foreign Minister intends to specifically and publicly condemn Iran's attacks on Iraq's sovereignty, as stated in the response, and on the Kurdistan region in Iraq, as well as highlight the bombing of the Kurdish villages.
I also want to ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he intends to take any measures to draw attention to the persecution and oppression of the Kurdish people in Iran but also in the region.
Leif Nysmed (S)
Mr. Speaker! I thank the Minister for Foreign Affairs for the answer, but I must agree with the criticism of both of these interpellations' answers. I think they are a bit passive - or very passive.
The questioner and I are also asking what measures the Minister intends to take to prevent the Iranian regime from attacking Kurds again in and outside Iran.
There is today a direct threat of attacks on Kurdish organizations that have sought protection in Iraq, especially KDPI. Iran has demanded that Iraq arrest leading representatives of KDPI and send them to Iran, all in order to kill the opposition that is currently pushing forward in Iran in the general struggle that is also ongoing. The Kurds are the group in Iran that is best organized. Therefore, very harsh measures are also being deployed against them.
What I want to know is not what we think and feel in general terms, but what is to be done now to support those who have the strength to stand in opposition to the Iranian regime.
Attacks are occurring today against families - families are being forcibly displaced by leading figures in KDPI today to put pressure on them and to threaten and intimidate people.
We had a seminar here in the Riksdag on Wednesday about precisely the situation for the Kurds in Iran. Their organization KDPI, which was present there, actually asks what Sweden and the Western world are doing to support them in the acute situation that is now, not just in general terms but now. They are under very heavy pressure. I suffer with them. And we know what means the Iranian regime can take and dares to take. That has been shown over decades.
My question to you remains, Foreign Minister. What measures do you intend to implement to support the Kurdish people in Iran but also those who have fled to Iraq in this acute situation? You have received some tips from my comrades earlier. But what is being done now?
Utrikesministern Tobias Billström (M)
Mr. Speaker! Let me again emphasize that I fully share the interpellant's and the other participants' concern regarding the situation for both ethnic and religious minorities in Iran.
As I pointed out in my answer, Sweden has acted in several ways both within the UN and within the EU regarding the situation for religious and ethnic minorities in Iran, including Kurds, in support of their full enjoyment of human rights.
Sweden, for example, stood together with other like-minded countries behind the request to convene a special session on Iran in the UN Human Rights Council on November 24 last year to highlight and mark the situation in Iran. As I mentioned in the previous interpellation debate, it was decided at the special session, among other things, to establish an independent fact-finding commission mechanism to investigate Iran's actions in connection with the nationwide protests that followed the death of the young Kurdish woman Mahsa Jina Aminis in the custody of Iranian authorities in September last year.
The situation for religious and ethnic minorities was also explicitly highlighted in the resolution on Iran in the UN General Assembly last autumn. Sweden and – and I want to emphasize this because the interpellator asked about it – all of the EU's member states stood behind this and were co-sponsors of the resolution.
The EU is our most important platform for Iran policy. By acting together, we achieve a greater impact. And regarding the questions from Kadir Kasirgas and Serkan Köse, I want to say that in December last year, Sweden was one of the member countries that was driving the adoption of new, sharply formulated council conclusions on Iran, which meant a clear tightening of the EU's Iran policy.
The conclusions specifically mention the situation of ethnic and religious minorities in Iran. They state the EU's demand on Iranian authorities to ensure all individuals' full enjoyment of human rights.
The EU has continuously condemned discrimination and violence against minorities in Iran, including in a joint statement in the HR Council in connection with the special rapporteur on the HR situation in Iran meeting the Council this spring. We have just, in another interpellation debate, debated this issue.
In connection with the anniversary of Mahsa Jina Aminis death, the EU once again made a joint statement urging Iranian authorities to respect human rights. It was therefore an anniversary that occurred two weeks ago. The statement also demanded an immediate end to arbitrary detentions, including of EU citizens and individuals with dual citizenship. They must be released immediately.
Sanctions are another central tool in our and the EU's common policy towards Iran. New sanction packages under the EU's sanctions regime against human rights violations in Iran have been adopted by the EU continuously during the past year. Among the entities that have been listed during the past year, as mentioned earlier today, is a number of regional units of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, including in Kurdistan. In total, ten new sanction packages have been adopted, most recently in connection with the anniversary of Mahsa Jina Aminis death.
Mr. Speaker! Sweden continues to do everything Sweden can to contribute to a strong international pressure that supports the Iranian people's legitimate demands for respect for human rights and that clearly marks that Iran's actions have international consequences.
Ola Möller (S)
Mr. Speaker! My question still remains. What does Tobias Billström want? Now we have heard what the EU wants, what the UN wants, and what we are pushing for in the EU. It has been nearly ten months since it was November 2022. Kurds are dying here and now. Kurds will die in the future, because new attacks and assaults against them are being planned.
It is not so strange that it is precisely the Kurds who are being bombed, even in other countries, because the Kurds lead, in many ways, the struggle being waged against the regime and have always done so. It is there that the democratic hope largely exists in the Middle East. It is there that the women also take up space and drive the revolution, which continued.
It was easy to take a great leap in November 2022, when TV images were broadcast of how people protested in the streets. But the difficult thing in this is to hold on. The question is: How are these sanctions working? Has the Iranian regime stopped murdering? Are fewer people sitting in prison now after the sanctions came into force and were tightened?
It is not that the Foreign Minister has been unable to take a clear stance. Before he became Foreign Minister, he was clear that reporting laws belong in the GDR. When he became Foreign Minister, he was quick to distance himself from precisely the Kurds, YPG and PYD, completely without anyone having asked him to do so. He was also clear in conversations with the Turkish regime, despite denials: Yes, we will probably make it forbidden to wave terrorist flags in Sweden. Clarity, therefore, has not been a problem for the Foreign Minister.
That the EU is not behind the lines being driven has not been a problem for the Foreign Minister.
I received no answer on what the Foreign Minister wants to do in terms of concrete action. What does the Foreign Minister want to do? Is one prepared to push forward and not just feel out the terrain? Sanctions in all their glory, but they do not stop bombs falling over the Kurdish children. They do not. The bombs are there, and the bombs must in some way be tangibly stopped.
I think it is very good that this was raised in November 2022. But it is now that action is needed, Tobias Billström. Somewhere there is an opinion that a Swedish Foreign Minister can have. Tell us about it! What do you see as possible ways forward to save the lives of the Kurds? Condemnations do not do that. Sanctions do not do that. What else does the Foreign Minister think should be done moving forward?
Saying that we are strengthening the sanctions is not enough. Then the little girls would still have lived. Then the Iranian regime would not have been able to wreak havoc inside other countries and drop bombs.
Mr. Speaker! Now I ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs again: Are you prepared to drive the establishment of a no-fly zone? What requirements did the Minister for Foreign Affairs set for Iran's Minister for Foreign Affairs? What do you envision that can be actively done?
Kadir Kasirga (S)
Mr. Speaker! First and foremost, I really want to agree with Ola Möller's co-submission and demand that Sweden should work for a no-fly zone over the Kurdish regions, in both Iran and Iraq. Sweden should work for it in the international community.
Mr. Speaker! Iran's threats and attacks can also be interpreted as a deliberate strategy from the Islamist regime to force the Iranian Kurds in Iraqi Kurdistan to flee, but also to destabilize the regional Kurdish autonomy in Iraq.
We see how Iran is aggressively advancing its positions militarily, politically and economically in Iraq, in Syria, in Lebanon and on the Arabian Peninsula.
In Lebanon, Hezbollah receives military training with advanced weapons that can be used against Israel. In Palestine, Iran has succeeded in dividing the Palestinians by providing the terrorist organization Hamas with military and economic support. In Syria, Iran supports the Assad regime and fights the secular Kurdish-controlled Rojava administration while our Foreign Minister distances himself from the YPG. Above all, they provide Russia with drones – killer drones – and military expertise in their violation of international law's war of invasion in Ukraine.
What more was needed? What more is required for one to be able to label the revolutionary guard as a terrorist organization, and what more is required for Sweden to truly act to prevent a catastrophe from occurring in the region?
Serkan Köse (S)
Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Minister for Foreign Affairs, for the answer! Again: Every attack against civilians, against oppositionists, is a reminder of the Iranian regime's brutality and contempt for human lives and fundamental freedoms.
This regime, in the shadow of the revolutionary guard, which many of us have been involved in now, continues to commit gross and unacceptable violations of human rights, especially against the Kurdish population in Kurdistan.
The Kurds are subjected to violence and persecution, and the regime tries to silence their voices. These are serious crimes that must be noticed and condemned by the international community. Iran violates international law and international conventions on human rights.
In this context, Mr. Speaker, it is of the utmost importance that the Swedish government and Tobias Billström intensify their efforts to highlight the Kurds' unsustainable situation in Iran as well as clearly and distinctly condemn the regime's recurring attacks against civilian Kurds in the Kurdistan region.
Mr. Speaker! Sweden's voice and actions in this matter are of utmost importance. Tobias Billström's voice is important in this context. We must, Mr. Speaker, constantly be a strong and clear voice internationally against the violations of human rights occurring in Iran and in Kurdistan, and we must give our continued support to the groups that are most affected by these violations.
In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, I would like to give the Minister for Foreign Affairs a chance to answer my question: Does the Minister intend to condemn the Iranian regime's attacks on civilian Kurds in the Kurdistan region?
Leif Nysmed (S)
Mr. Speaker! I unfortunately note that the Iranian regime has succeeded in diverting attention away from the demonstrations and uprisings in Iran. We see this, among other things, in the statements here, where it is claimed that the demonstrations have subsided.
They have succeeded. Instead, Sweden is being held accountable for Quran burnings. A picture of a smiling Swedish Foreign Minister together with Iran's Foreign Minister gives a picture to vulnerable Kurds here in Sweden and in other parts of the world that Sweden is backing the Iranian regime. I know it is the Iranian propaganda machine that creates this image, but even more importantly then, Mr. Speaker, that Sweden's Foreign Minister more clearly supports the opposition in Iran in their struggle for freedom, in the acute situation here and now. The Iranian regime has previously shown what it is capable of, and I do not doubt that they will bomb the Kurds again.
Mr. Speaker! What prevents the Minister for Foreign Affairs from once again directing sharp criticism, as he mentioned in his first speech, towards the acute situation that the Kurds find themselves in today? What prevents the Minister for Foreign Affairs from taking a stand against the Iranian regime?
Utrikesministern Tobias Billström (M)
Mr. Speaker! Thank you very much for the questions that have come here today!
I want to start by saying that the government naturally harbors no illusions about Iran's role in the region. Iran is, directly or indirectly, involved in several of the Middle East's conflicts and thus has a great responsibility for the regional development. The Iranian attacks that have previously occurred against Kurdish targets in Iraq, which the EU has strongly condemned and which Sweden, naturally as an EU member state, stands behind the condemnation of, threaten to undermine Iraq's stability and territorial sovereignty. There is no ambiguity on that point.
It is therefore positive that Iran and Iraq now appear to have reached a diplomatic solution through the joint security agreement and the dialogue facilitated by the UN, which Sweden supports. Several of the participants have wondered what Sweden is doing actively, and this is a clear example. It is important and welcome that even the Kurdish autonomy in northern Iraq is part of this dialogue and process.
Iran needs to change its approach and do more to contribute to political solutions in the region, including in Syria and in Yemen. In this context, it is positive to note the ongoing process toward normalization between Iran and Saudi Arabia, as it could be an important contribution to regional peace and security.
It is also positive that the EU has decided on a new strategic approach to the Gulf region. This approach includes a strengthened partnership with the countries in the region in a range of areas, including to promote regional security. Among other things, a special EU envoy for the Gulf region has been appointed, something that Sweden has worked actively for. I met the envoy Luigi Di Maio here in Stockholm in June, and we discussed, among other things, his priorities in the region. Di Maio also recently made his first trip to the region, including to Iran.
Several questions have been asked about my meetings. It is correct that I had a meeting with my Iranian counterpart in New York on the sidelines of UNGA. In that conversation, I raised that the Swedish citizens who are being held in detention in Iran must be released immediately. I cannot go into more detail regarding exactly what was said in that conversation.
Regarding the question that has been asked about drones and robots to Russia, I want to say that Sweden views very seriously that Iran has provided drones and other military support to Russia which are used in the warfare in Ukraine. The EU has made decisions on several sanction listings of Iranian individuals and entities for this reason under the sanctions regime, which focused partly on Russia-Ukraine and partly on Syria. In July, the EU agreed to establish a new sanctions regime with a focus on Iran's export of drones used by Russia in the aggression against Ukraine. Sweden has supported this initiative.
As was said: I do not think there should be any doubt whatsoever in this debate about where the Swedish government stands when it comes to drone attacks against, for example, Kurdish areas in Iraq. We view with great concern the Iranian attacks that have previously occurred against Kurdish targets in Iraq. They threaten to undermine Iraq's stability, they threaten the state of Iraq's territorial sovereignty and the EU has, as was said, issued very sharp condemnations against these attacks.
Ola Möller (S)
Mr. Speaker! As the opposition, one often ends up in the "too little and too late" track. I can laugh at it when it concerns the size of various initiatives or the like, but when it concerns lives, when it concerns when bombs will start falling over the Kurds, "too little and too late" is of a completely different dignity.
I am terrified that everything the Foreign Minister is rambling about will be too little and too late. That is why we are also trying to find concrete measures that could save lives and that could support weak institutions against a murderous regime. It is about supporting the Iraqi state and supporting the KAG to actually manage to defend itself. That is what it is about, and Tobias Billström knows that.
Earlier in history, Sweden has proudly taken on mediation roles and active initiatives and tried to bring the parties together or similar. Now it is: We will see what we can get through in the EU. Somewhere, I believe, we must dare to have a foreign policy stance where we think something ourselves. As said, it is not that there is a lack of opinion from the Foreign Minister.
I do not understand why the Foreign Minister cannot here and now say stop to Iran: If you bomb the Kurds, I do not intend to meet your Foreign Minister and smile and lend myself to the propaganda any longer. I do not believe that the Foreign Minister would have lent himself to that type of measures if the Foreign Minister's counterpart had been named Sergey Lavrov.
Utrikesministern Tobias Billström (M)
Mr. Speaker! There is a very large consensus within the EU regarding the importance of continued clarity in the dialogue with Iran. It is through a critical dialogue that we can communicate our values and provide support to the Iranian people, who would not benefit from further isolation of the country.
Maintained diplomatic channels with Iran are also a prerequisite for being able to act in difficult consular matters. We have a number of Swedish citizens who are imprisoned in Iran. As the Prime Minister mentioned in the government statement, the government is working very actively with these matters in dialogue and with support from the EU.
We continue to raise the situation for human rights, including for ethnic and religious minorities, in direct contacts with Iran. In coordination with other EU states, we have also called the Iranian ambassador to in this way signal when Iran has escalated the repression.
The government's objective remains firm, Mr. Speaker. We continue to work for the most powerful possible support and line against the Iranian regime's oppression within the framework of EU unity, and we rule out no future measures. We also continue tirelessly to work to maintain the pressure on Iran bilaterally, through the EU and in the UN.
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.