The European Union will not ease sanctions on Iran without concrete policy changes, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday.
"The principle of sanctions is that we need real change on the ground before we can think about lifting them," von der Leyen said, shortly before the start of the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France.
She was responding to a question about the prospect of sanctions relief following the framework agreement reached between the United States and Iran aimed at ending the war.
Von der Leyen said sanctions were imposed to bring about changes in behaviour and could be lifted if such changes proved credible and lasting.
"But the other way around is also true," she said, noting that the European Union had imposed sanctions on Iran for both human rights violations and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
As a result, economic sanctions linked to Iran's nuclear activities could be lifted independently of sanctions imposed over human rights abuses.
Among the measures Tehran has long sought to have eased are sanctions that prevent the export of crude oil, petroleum products and natural gas to the European Union.
A wide range of other sectors are also affected by sanctions, including trade, banking and transport. Many of those restrictions were introduced under a United Nations framework aimed at preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.
In addition, the European Union has imposed sanctions on Iranian organizations and individuals accused of supporting Russia's war in Ukraine and involvement in serious human rights violations.
