THE European Union announced sanctions today against 15 Iranian officials in response to Tehran’s deadly crackdown on nationwide protests.

This added to pressure on Iran the day after US President Donald Trump threatened military action if the theocratic regime failed to agree a deal to limit its nuclear programme.

Those targeted by the sanctions include top commanders and officials of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, plus another six organisations, including bodies responsible for monitoring online content.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said that punishing the leaders of the Revolutionary Guard, which has played a key role in suppressing the demonstrations, “put them on the same footing with al-Qaida, Hamas and Daesh,” using an Arabic acronym for the Islamic State group. “If you act as a terrorist, you should also be treated as a terrorist,” she said.

On Wednesday, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said that at least 6,373 people had been killed in violence linked to the protest in recent weeks, with many more feared dead.

The count includes at least 5,993 protesters, 214 government-affiliated forces, 113 children and 53 civilians who were not demonstrating. More than 42,450 people have been arrested.

Mr Trump has previously threatened to use force in response to the killing of demonstrators and over possible mass executions, though he changed tack on Wednesday night and spoke of attacking the Islamic republic if it fails to comply with his nuclear demands.

“Hopefully Iran will quickly ‘come to the table’ and negotiate a fair and equitable deal — no nuclear weapons — one that is good for all parties,” the president wrote on his Truth Social platform. “Time is running out, it is truly of the essence!”

Mentioning the US strikes on Iran last June, the president said: “The next attack will be far worse!”

The USS Abraham Lincoln and several guided-missile destroyers have been deployed in the Middle East, though it remains unclear whether Mr Trump will carry out his threat.

Iran, for its part, has said it could launch a pre-emptive strike or broadly target the Middle East, including US military bases in the region and Israel.

Tehran issued a warning to ships at sea today that it planned to stage a drill next week that would include “naval shooting” in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday and Monday, a waterway through which 20 per cent of all the world’s oil passes.

Such action would probably trigger US military intervention, though Pentagon officials did not respond to a request for comment.