EU Parliament President Roberta Metsola has banned all diplomatic staff of the Islamic Republic of Iran from all European Parliament premises.

In a statement on social media, Metsola said that "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. This House will not aid in legitimising this regime that has sustained itself through torture, repression and murder."

The Associated Press reports that Iran's leadership is under incredible pressure as the largest protests in years against the Islamic theocracy shake the country.

"Tehran is still reeling from a 12-day war launched by Israel in June that saw the United States bomb nuclear sites in Iran. Economic pressure, which has intensified since September when the United Nations reimposed sanctions on the country over its atomic program, has sent Iran's rial currency into a free fall, now trading at over 1.4 million to $1."

"The collapse of the rial has led to a widening economic crisis in Iran. Prices are up on meat, rice and other staples of the Iranian dinner table. The nation has been struggling with an annual inflation rate of some 40%," the Associated Press writes. "In December, Iran introduced a new pricing tier for its nationally subsidized gasoline, raising the price of some of the world's cheapest gas and further pressuring the population. Tehran may seek steeper price increases in the future, as the government now will review prices every three months. Meanwhile, food prices are expected to spike after Iran's Central Bank in recent days ended a preferential, subsidized dollar-rial exchange rate for all products except medicine and wheat. The protests began in late December with merchants in Tehran before spreading. While initially focused on economic issues, protesters soon began chanting anti-government statements as well. Anger has been simmering over the years, particularly after the 2022 death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody that triggered nationwide demonstrations."

It writes that nearly 600 protests have taken place across all of Iran's 31 provinces, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported Monday. "The death toll has reached at least 572, it said, with more than 10,600 arrests. The group relies on an activist network inside of Iran for its reporting and has been accurate in past unrest."