European Parliament President Roberta Metsola is embroiled in a diplomatic row after publicly backing anti-government protests in Iran, prompting a sharp rebuke from the Iranian mission to the EU.

In a video message from Brussels released on Thursday, Metsola praised “the brave people of Iran” standing up to the authorities, telling protesters that Europe stood firmly by their side.

Protests in Iran erupted in the final week of 2025, driven by public anger over the country’s economic situation. Within days, however, they morphed into open opposition to the country’s leadership.

Other MEPs echoed Metsola’s remarks, including German Green Hannah Neumann, who chairs the Parliament’s delegation for relations with Tehran. She described the protests as a “breaking point” for Iran.

The comments triggered a swift response from the Iranian mission to the EU, which accused European lawmakers of interference in Iran’s internal affairs. In a series of posts on X, the mission said it “unequivocally rejects” what it described as “interventionist statements,” singling out Metsola’s speech.

The Iranian statement went on to accuse European politicians of hypocrisy and double standards on human rights, claiming they had remained silent on the war in Gaza and on the killing of Iranians by Israel, while now “spreading distorting accounts of the peaceful protests in Iran” and “shedding crocodile tears” for political purposes.

Metsola responded directly on social media, defending her stance and drawing a contrast between political freedoms in Europe and restrictions in Iran.

“Must be nice to be able to tweet from Europe and be able to use the internet freely to publicly disagree with leaders, without being arrested, beaten or having the country’s telecommunications disabled,” she wrote on X. “That’s the sort of thing people in Iran’s streets are asking for.”

On Friday, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas wrote that Iran was showing its “true colours” by ignoring the demands of the protesters.

“Images from Tehran reveal a disproportionate and heavy-handed response by the security forces. Any violence against peaceful demonstrators is unacceptable. Shutting down the internet while violently suppressing protests exposes a regime afraid of its own people,” Kallas wrote.

European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have not made public statements, despite both being on a diplomatic trip to the Middle East this week.

A Commission spokesperson said Brussels was “closely monitoring the situation in Iran, including the latest developments in the southwestern part of the country,” and reiterated the EU’s opposition to “any violence against peaceful demonstrators.”