Brussels [Belgium], January 13 (ANI): European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday expressed concern over the rising number of casualties in Iran and condemned what she described as the excessive use of force and continued restriction of freedom.

In a post on X, von der Leyen said, 'The rising number of casualties in Iran is horrifying. I unequivocally condemn the excessive use of force and continued restriction of freedom.'

https://x.com/vonderleyen/status/2011046697481261344?s=20

She noted that the European Union has already taken action under its human rights sanctions regime. 'The European Union has already listed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in its entirety under its human rights sanctions regime,' she said.

Von der Leyen added that further measures would be proposed in coordination with the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. 'In close cooperation with HRVP @kajakallas, further sanctions on those responsible for the repression will be swiftly proposed,' she said.

Expressing support for the people of Iran, von der Leyen said, 'We stand with the people of Iran who are bravely marching for their liberty.'

Her remarks come amid sustained nationwide protests in Iran since late December, which have sparked divided reactions globally, with some governments expressing concern over what they describe as foreign-instigated riots, while others have accused Iranian authorities of responding violently to demonstrators, Al Jazeera reported.

Several senior Iranian figures have acknowledged the grievances of the protesters, while attempting to draw a distinction between those driven by economic hardship and rising costs, and what they have described as rioters trying to 'sow discord', as Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated.

Araghchi has said Iran is not seeking war but told Al Jazeera that Tehran was 'prepared for all options' after US President Donald Trump threatened military action over the response to the protests.

Against this backdrop, Iran's exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi has appealed to US President Donald Trump to move 'sooner rather than later' against Iran's clerical leadership, as demonstrations continue across the country amid reports of a harsh crackdown.

In an interview with CBS News on Monday, Pahlavi said, 'We need action to be taken.'

'The best way to ensure that there will be less people killed in Iran is to intervene sooner, so this regime finally collapses and puts an end to all the problems that we are facing,' he said.

Pahlavi has been living in exile since his father, Iran's last shah, was toppled in the 1979 Islamic Revolution that brought the current system to power. He said he has been in contact with the Trump administration, though he did not disclose details of their discussions.

He further alleged that the Islamic Republic's recent outreach to the US administration was aimed at containing the nationwide demonstrations that he said could threaten the rule of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Trump told reporters on Sunday night that he spoke with Iranian leaders on Saturday and said they 'called to negotiate' even as he has threatened military action against the regime.

The US President said he was considering his options after warning on Friday that the United States would intervene if the regime began 'killing people like they have in the past.'

'We'll be hitting them very hard where it hurts,' Trump said Friday. 'And that doesn't mean boots on the ground, but it means hitting them very, very hard where it hurts.'

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday that the administration was keeping all options on the table, including airstrikes.

Pahlavi claimed Trump's stated red lines had already been crossed and alleged Tehran was 'trying to trick' the international community into believing it was willing to negotiate an end to the unrest.

'The game-changer would be for this regime to know that they cannot rely anymore on a continued campaign of repression without the world reacting to it,' he said.

Asked whether he was seeking regime change, Pahlavi said Trump's expressions of solidarity with Iranians meant 'ultimately supporting them in their ask.'

'And their ask is that this regime has to go,' he said.

Around 2,000 people have been killed in protests against Iran's regime, The Times of Israel reported, citing Reuters, quoting an Iranian official who blamed 'terrorists' for the deaths of civilians and security personnel.

The report said this is the highest official death toll confirmed so far in the unrest that has rocked the Islamic Republic and threatened the country's stability. It added that an Iranian opposition outlet has alleged the death toll stands at around 12,000, citing multiple sources inside the country, though the claim could not be verified.

When asked if it was responsible to encourage continued demonstrations despite the violence, Pahlavi did not respond directly and said, 'This is a war and war has casualties.'

'In order to preserve and protect and minimise the death toll, minimise innocent victims yet again being killed by this regime, action is needed,' he said.

Pahlavi, who has positioned himself as a potential transitional figure, said he represents Iranians overseas and claimed that chants of his name during the protests reflected the legitimacy of the role he could play, even as questions remain about the extent of his support inside the country.

'Why is it that I offer my service to Iran? I'm answering their call,' he said. 'I'm a bridge and not the destination at this point.'

Pahlavi has not returned to Iran in nearly five decades. Asked if he would be ready to sacrifice his life for the movement, he said he would, citing the fearlessness of protesters facing security forces.

'How could I not possibly be prepared to die for them? To die for liberty, to die for saving our nation? I'm prepared to do that,' he said.

He also said the current unrest, triggered last month by the collapse of Iran's currency, was different from earlier uprisings.

'Today, the ask is not just for reform, or for that matter, an economic demand. It is now ending this regime. This is really the revolution in its true sense of the world,' he said.

Pahlavi also pointed to Trump being in office as another key factor, saying, 'Unlike some predecessors to the current president of the United States, he's a man that means what he says and says what he means,' Pahlavi said.

Meanwhile, Iran's top cyberspace authority announced on Monday that access to the global internet will remain restricted in the country until officials are satisfied that full security has been restored amid widespread anti-government rallies driven by soaring inflation, economic hardship, and mounting public anger over governance, Iranian state broadcaster Press TV reported.

According to Press TV, citing the President of Iran's National Centre for Cyberspace, Mohammad Amin Aqamiri, the internet blackout, imposed on January 9 amid widespread unrest in several provinces, will continue for the time being.

He added that the exact timeline for lifting the restrictions will be announced once authorities have completed their security assessments.

'The time to return to normal conditions will be announced in the future, and authorities must certainly brief us on security considerations,' Aqamiri said, as quoted by the IRNA news agency.

Aqamiri described the shutdown as necessary to counter 'cognitive warfare' carried out by Iran's adversaries in cyberspace, noting that the domestic intranet system, known as the National Information Network (NIN), has been strengthened to maintain essential online services despite limited access to the global internet.

'The NIN is a platform through which we can guarantee stable services for the public,' Aqamiri said, adding that domestic messaging apps, search engines, and artificial intelligence services will be expanded to minimise disruptions to daily life, Press TV reported.

He also confirmed that citizens currently have access to online banking and shopping services through the NIN.

According to NetBlocks, a watchdog organisation that monitors cybersecurity and Internet governance, 108 hours have passed since Iran imposed a nationwide internet blackout.

'Update: It has been 108 hours since #Iran introduced a nationwide internet shutdown, leaving Iranians isolated from the rest of the world and each other,' the organisation said in a post on X.

Meanwhile, Iran's Telecom Minister Sattar Hashemi said that all government departments would comply with the decision of top security officials to maintain the internet restrictions while continuing efforts to eventually restore full access, Press TV reported.

Amid mounting violence, the United Nations rights chief voiced horror at the situation across Iran. 'The killing of peaceful demonstrators must stop, and the labelling of protesters as 'terrorists' to justify violence against them is unacceptable,' Volker Turk said in a statement, according to The Times of Israel.

Turk also decried the authorities' decision 'to inflict brutal force to repress legitimate demands for change.' (ANI)