Le Drian: Iran not Respecting UN Text on Ballistic Missiles

France Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian arrives for an EU foreign ministers meeting at the EU Council in Brussels on Monday, Jan. 22, 2018. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)
France Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian arrives for an EU foreign ministers meeting at the EU Council in Brussels on Monday, Jan. 22, 2018. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)
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Le Drian: Iran not Respecting UN Text on Ballistic Missiles

France Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian arrives for an EU foreign ministers meeting at the EU Council in Brussels on Monday, Jan. 22, 2018. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)
France Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian arrives for an EU foreign ministers meeting at the EU Council in Brussels on Monday, Jan. 22, 2018. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

France’s foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian slammed Iran on Monday for not respecting part of a UN resolution that calls on Tehran to refrain from work on ballistic missiles designed to carry nuclear warheads.

Speaking on arrival at a European foreign ministers meeting in Brussels, Le Drian also said the 28 ministers would reiterate their concerns over Iran’s “destabilizing” activities in Yemen, Lebanon and Syria.

“We will also have the opportunity of underlining our firmness on Iran’s compliance with United Nations Resolution 2231, which limits access to ballistic capacity and which Iran does not respect,” Le Drian said.

Under the UN resolution enshrining the 2015 nuclear deal with Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States, Iran is “called upon” to refrain from work on ballistic missiles designed to deliver nuclear weapons for up to 8 years.

Some states say this phrasing does not make it an obligatory commitment.

Iran has repeatedly said its missile program is purely defensive and denied they are designed to carry nuclear warheads.

Le Drian on Sunday said he would visit Iran on March 5 to discuss its ballistic missile program and the nuclear deal agreed with world powers in 2015.

But Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman on Monday dismissed the suggestion of talks on either issue.

“If there is such a quote (from the French foreign minister) that we held talks, we deny it. We have not had any negotiations about our missile and defense capabilities and will not talk about these issues with others,” Bahram Qasemi was quoted as saying by Tasnim news agency on Monday.

With US President Donald Trump warning of a last chance for “the worst deal ever negotiated”, Britain, France and Germany have begun talks on a plan to satisfy him by addressing Iran’s ballistic missile tests and its regional influence while preserving the 2015 accord.

In an interview with daily Le Figaro to be published on Monday, Jean-Yves Le Drian said he would discuss the landmark nuclear deal after Trump’s January 12 ultimatum to Britain, France and Germany to “fix” the deal or he would withdraw.

“A country that goes back on its word devalues its word,” Le Drian said.

Tensions between Iran and France have risen in recent months with both sides repeatedly trading barbs in public, including le Drian accusing Iran of “hegemonic temptations” in the region.

Iranian officials have been particularly aggrieved by France’s criticism of its ballistic missile tests and suggestions of possible new sanctions over the program.

Iran has repeatedly said its missile program is purely defensive and dismisses Western assertions that its regional activities are destabilizing.

“If Iran wants to return to the concert of nations, it must cooperate on these questions,” said Le Drian, who postponed a trip to Tehran earlier this month because of demonstrations in the country.

“Otherwise, it will with reason always be suspected of wanting to develop nuclear weapons,” he added.



European Powers May Restore UN Sanctions on Iran

FILED - 18 July 2024, United Kingdom, Woodstock: UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy gives an interview at the European Political Community summit. Photo: Michael Kappeler/dpa
FILED - 18 July 2024, United Kingdom, Woodstock: UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy gives an interview at the European Political Community summit. Photo: Michael Kappeler/dpa
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European Powers May Restore UN Sanctions on Iran

FILED - 18 July 2024, United Kingdom, Woodstock: UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy gives an interview at the European Political Community summit. Photo: Michael Kappeler/dpa
FILED - 18 July 2024, United Kingdom, Woodstock: UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy gives an interview at the European Political Community summit. Photo: Michael Kappeler/dpa

The European troika, known as the E3, may restore UN sanctions on Iran under the snapback mechanism, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said on Tuesday, warning that the move could increase Tehran's suffering unless it takes a serious stance on stepping back from its nuclear program.

Speaking to the UK parliament’s foreign affairs select committee, Lammy said: “Iran faces even more pressure in the coming weeks because the E3 can snap back on our sanctions, and it’s not just our sanctions, it’s actually a UN mechanism that would impose dramatic sanctions on Iran across nearly every single front in its economy.”

“So they have a choice to make. It’s a choice for them to make. I’m very clear about the choice they should make, but I’m also clear that the UK has a decision to make that could lead to far greater pain for the Iranian regime unless they get serious about the international desire to see them step back from their nuclear ambitions,” he added.

Meanwhile, a French diplomatic source told Reuters on Tuesday that European powers would have to restore UN sanctions on Iran if there were no nuclear deal that guaranteed European security interests.

The source spoke after a call between French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot and Lammy ahead of a Franco-British summit.

Last Thursday, France threatened “retaliatory measures” against Tehran if it persisted with new charges against a French couple held in Iran, including accusations that they spied for Israel.

Snapback Mechanism

France, Britain and Germany - the E3 – are threatening to activate the snapback mechanism that would reinstate all United Nations Security Council sanctions previously levied on Iran.

According to diplomats, the E3 countries may trigger the snapback by August if no substantial deal can be found by then. The window closes on October 18.

UN resolution 2231 allows a State Party to the agreement to address a complaint to the Security Council about significant non-performance by another JCPOA participant.

Within 30 days of receiving such a notification, the UN Security Council shall vote on a draft resolution to either maintain the termination of previous sanctions or allow them to be reimposed.

European powers are considering triggering the snapback mechanism after Iran's decision to suspend cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).