Iran Summons British, French and German Ambassadors over ‘Double Standards'

 14 April 2024, Iran: A drone is launched in an undisclosed area in Iran as Iran launches dozens of drones toward Israel. (Tasnim News Agancy/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa)
14 April 2024, Iran: A drone is launched in an undisclosed area in Iran as Iran launches dozens of drones toward Israel. (Tasnim News Agancy/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa)
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Iran Summons British, French and German Ambassadors over ‘Double Standards'

 14 April 2024, Iran: A drone is launched in an undisclosed area in Iran as Iran launches dozens of drones toward Israel. (Tasnim News Agancy/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa)
14 April 2024, Iran: A drone is launched in an undisclosed area in Iran as Iran launches dozens of drones toward Israel. (Tasnim News Agancy/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa)

Iran's foreign ministry summoned on Sunday the ambassadors of Britain, France, and Germany to question what it referred to as their "irresponsible stance" regarding Tehran's retaliatory strikes on Israel, the semi-official Iranian Labor News Agency reported.

The three European countries have condemned Iran's drone and missile attack against Israel, which went through Saturday night into Sunday and were in retaliation for Israel's bombing of its consulate in Syria on April 1.

The director for Western Europe at Iran's foreign ministry accused the three countries of "double standards" as they opposed earlier this month a Russian-drafted UN Security Council statement that would have condemned Israel's attack on Iran's embassy compound in Syria.

"Iran's military action against the Zionist regime's (Israel) bases is well within the framework of the right to legitimate defense stipulated in Article 51 of the United Nations Charter and it is in response to a series of crimes, including the recent attack on the embassy compound in Syria," the official added.

The G7, which includes France, Germany and the United Kingdom, is expected to hold a video call later on Sunday to discuss Iran's recent attack.



Canada Sanctions Seven Israelis, Five Entities over West Bank Violence

Israeli soldiers restrain settlers trying to storm town of Deir Sharaf in Nablus in occupied West Bank, on November 2, 2023 (AFP)
Israeli soldiers restrain settlers trying to storm town of Deir Sharaf in Nablus in occupied West Bank, on November 2, 2023 (AFP)
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Canada Sanctions Seven Israelis, Five Entities over West Bank Violence

Israeli soldiers restrain settlers trying to storm town of Deir Sharaf in Nablus in occupied West Bank, on November 2, 2023 (AFP)
Israeli soldiers restrain settlers trying to storm town of Deir Sharaf in Nablus in occupied West Bank, on November 2, 2023 (AFP)

Canada on Thursday imposed sanctions on seven Israeli settlers it said had taken part in extremist violence in the West Bank, the second time in just over a month Ottawa has taken such a step.

The foreign ministry said it had also imposed punitive measures on five entities, including settler organizations.

"We remain deeply concerned by extremist settler violence in the West Bank and condemn such acts, not only for the significant impact they have on Palestinian lives, but also for the corrosive impact they have on prospects for lasting peace," Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said in a statement.

Violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank was already at a more than 15-year high in 2023 and surged further after Israel's war in the separate enclave of Gaza in response to the Palestinian group Hamas' attack on Oct. 7.

Those Canada targeted include Ben-Zion Gopstein, founder and leader of the right-wing group Lehava, which opposes Jewish assimilation with non-Jews.

Also listed are Elisha Yered, who has justified killing Palestinians on religious grounds, and Shalom Zicherman, who the US State Department this year said had assaulted Israeli activists and their vehicles in the West Bank.

Canada's sanctions follow similar measures by allies including the United States and Britain.

The measures prohibit dealings related to the individuals and render them inadmissible to Canada, the foreign ministry said. Ottawa imposed sanctions on four settlers last month.