The European Union has barred all Iranian diplomatic personnel from entering the European Parliament, according to an announcement made on Monday by Parliament President Roberta Metsola.
In a post published on X, Metsola said she had decided to prohibit all members of Iran’s diplomatic staff, as well as any other representatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran, from accessing any European Parliament facilities. She linked the decision to ongoing developments inside Iran, stating that the move comes as the Iranian people continue to fight for their rights and freedoms.
It cannot be business as usual.
As the brave people of Iran continue to stand up for their rights and their liberty, today I have taken the decision to ban all diplomatic staff and any other representatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran from all European Parliament premises.…
— Roberta Metsola (@EP_President) January 12, 2026
The announcement coincided with diplomatic activity in Tehran, where Iran’s Foreign Ministry summoned ambassadors or senior diplomats from Germany, France, Italy and the United Kingdom. According to Iranian authorities, the diplomats were called in to express Tehran’s displeasure over the support shown by these countries toward Iranian protesters.
France’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that European ambassadors were indeed summoned by Iranian officials.
