European Countries to Maintain Ballistic, Nuclear Sanctions on Iran

Iranian Foreign Minister Amir Hossein-Abdollahian (AP)
Iranian Foreign Minister Amir Hossein-Abdollahian (AP)
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European Countries to Maintain Ballistic, Nuclear Sanctions on Iran

Iranian Foreign Minister Amir Hossein-Abdollahian (AP)
Iranian Foreign Minister Amir Hossein-Abdollahian (AP)

Britain, France, and Germany have said they would retain ballistic missile and nuclear proliferation-related sanctions on Iran that were set to expire in October under the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

The three European allies known as E3 announced in a statement, a copy of which was obtained by Asharq Al-Awsat, that they intend to maintain nuclear proliferation-related measures on Iran, as well as arms and missile embargoes, after Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) Transition Day on October 18, 2023.

The deal's coordinator, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, said he had received a letter from the E3 informing him of their decision and transferred it to Iran, China, and Russia, the other participants.

"As Coordinator, I will consult with all JCPoA participants on the way ahead," Borrell said.

“They had registered their concerns that Iran was not meeting its commitments,” Borrell said on Thursday.

“They express their intent not to take the steps regarding the lifting of further sanctions on JCPOA transition day.”

Borrell indicated that he would consult with all parties to the nuclear agreement to agree on the next steps, demonstrating his continued commitment to fully re-implementing the atomic deal and “spare no effort” to achieve this.

- “No additional sanctions”

Although the three countries announced their intention to renew the sanctions, they were keen to stress that the decision does not amount to imposing additional sanctions on Iran or activating the mechanism to re-impose UN sanctions on it.

The statement indicated that the three countries remain committed to a diplomatic solution, but Iran must now take clear steps towards de-escalation.

“We are committed to preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons,” read the statement.

The UK said Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium was 18 times the limits set out in the JCPOA, and hundreds of advanced centrifuges had been built and deployed.

The three countries believed that Iran “twice missed” the opportunity to revive the nuclear agreement, and they remained committed to preventing Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon. Still, its stockpile of highly enriched uranium was at a level “beyond all credible civilian justification.”

- European-Iranian meetings in New York

A Western source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the step was “logical and expected,” noting that Iran’s nuclear program had exceeded all restrictions within the agreement.

A second European source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the UN General Assembly meetings in New York next week will witness side meetings between the European coordinator and his deputy with the Iranian delegation to discuss the next steps and try to reduce the escalation.

- Baerbock, Amir-Abdollahian phone call

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock made a rare call with her Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

The two ministers discussed several issues of common interest and exchanged views on various topics, including issues of concern to Iran. The discussions were clear and straightforward.

Baerbock and Amir-Abdollahian met in February last year on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. Baerbock informed her Iranian counterpart of the European countries’ intention to extend the sanctions.

Western countries refrained from escalating against Tehran within the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) held this week in Vienna, mainly because the US refused to pass a resolution that increases pressure on Iran.



32 Killed in New Sectarian Violence in Pakistan

Police officers stand guard near their vehicles during a protest by Pakistani Shiite Muslims against an attack on passenger vehicles in Kurram, in Dera Ismail Khan District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, 22 November 2024. EPA/SAOOD REHMAN
Police officers stand guard near their vehicles during a protest by Pakistani Shiite Muslims against an attack on passenger vehicles in Kurram, in Dera Ismail Khan District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, 22 November 2024. EPA/SAOOD REHMAN
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32 Killed in New Sectarian Violence in Pakistan

Police officers stand guard near their vehicles during a protest by Pakistani Shiite Muslims against an attack on passenger vehicles in Kurram, in Dera Ismail Khan District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, 22 November 2024. EPA/SAOOD REHMAN
Police officers stand guard near their vehicles during a protest by Pakistani Shiite Muslims against an attack on passenger vehicles in Kurram, in Dera Ismail Khan District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, 22 November 2024. EPA/SAOOD REHMAN

At least 32 people were killed and 47 wounded in sectarian clashes in northwest Pakistan, an official told AFP on Saturday, two days after attacks on Shiite passenger convoys killed 43.

Sporadic fighting between Sunni and Shiite Muslims in the mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan has killed around 150 over the past months.

"Fighting between Shiite and Sunni communities continues at multiple locations. According to the latest reports, 32 people have been killed which include 14 Sunnis and 18 Shiites," a senior administrative official told AFP on condition of anonymity on Saturday.

On Thursday, gunmen opened fire on two separate convoys of Shiite Muslims travelling with police escort in Kurram, killing 43 while 11 wounded are still in "critical condition", officials told AFP.

In retaliation Shiite Muslims on Friday evening attacked several Sunni locations in the Kurram district, once a semi-autonomous region, where sectarian violence has resulted in the deaths of hundreds over the years.

"Around 7 pm (1400 GMT), a group of enraged Shiite individuals attacked the Sunni-dominated Bagan Bazaar," a senior police officer stationed in Kurram told AFP.

"After firing, they set the entire market ablaze and entered nearby homes, pouring petrol and setting them on fire. Initial reports suggest over 300 shops and more than 100 houses have been burned," he said.

Local Sunnis "also fired back at the attackers", he added.

Javedullah Mehsud, a senior official in Kurram said there were "efforts to restore peace ... (through) the deployment of security forces" and with the help of "local elders".

After Thursday's attacks that killed 43, including seven women and three children, thousands of Shiite Muslims took to the streets in various cities of Pakistan on Friday.

Several hundred people demonstrated in Lahore, Pakistan's second city and Karachi, the country's commercial hub.

In Parachinar, the main town of Kurram district, thousands participated in a sit-in, while hundreds attended the funerals of the victims, mainly Shiite civilians.