Macron vows tougher Iran sanctions amid protests crackdown

French President Emmanuel Macron French President Emmanuel Macron has said that the West should step up sanctions against Iran (Gonzalo Fuentes/Pool via AP/PA)

French President Emmanuel Macron has said the West should step up sanctions against Iran by targeting government officials who are part of the violent crackdown on protesters demanding women’s rights in the Islamic Republic.

Iranian women — and some men — have been protesting against the government’s severe restrictions on their daily life since late September after the death of a 22-year-old Mahsa Amini following her arrest for allegedly violating the Islamic Republic’s strict dress code.