ATHENS

The European Parliament’s president on Tuesday slammed Iran’s recent move to sanction some European lawmakers, saying the decision "will not silence us."

"Just to be clear. Iran's decision to sanction European Parliament Members will not silence us," Roberta Metsola said on Twitter.

"If anything, it reinforces our determination to speak out more loudly against the oppression by the Iranian regime. Threats never work. They backfire."

Iran's Foreign Ministry on Monday announced sanctions on 17 individuals and four entities based in the UK and the EU, in response to recent European sanctions against Iranian officials linked to crackdowns on nationwide protests.