NCRI Staff<\/p>\n
NCRI –\u00a0France wants to get tougher on the Iranian Regime\u2019s ballistic missile programme, calling on Wednesday for an \u201cuncompromising\u201d dialogue and a possible negotiation about the programme separate from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers (France, Britain, China, Germany, Russia and the United States).<\/p>\n
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Agnes Romatet-Espagne said: \u201cFrance is concerned about the continued pace of the Iranian missile program, which does not conform with (U.N.) Security Council Resolution 2231 and which is a source of destabilization and insecurity for the region.\u201d<\/p>\n
Resolution 2231, which enshrines the nuclear deal, calls on the Iranian Regime not to undertake any activity related to a ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear payload.<\/p>\n
Romatet-Espagne continued: \u201cFrance wishes to examine all the diplomatic options: a frank and uncompromising political dialogue with Iran; investigations by the U.N. General Secretariat; if necessary, new European sanctions against Iranian entities or individuals involved in the ballistic program; and finally opening a negotiation on the subject.\u201d<\/p>\n
This tough line on Iran\u2019s ballistic missiles puts France in line with the US- whose Congress is currently considering applying sanctions on Iran for violations of the nuclear deal after Donald Trump decertified Iranian compliance in mid-October- and reflects the concern that the Iranian Regime may try to arm a ballistic missile with a nuclear bomb.<\/p>\n
France had already suggested a discussion about EU-wide sanctions against Iran\u2019s missile tests but EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini appeared to dismiss this notion on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Following a meeting of EU foreign ministers, Mogherini said: \u201cWe didn\u2019t discuss, not today, not last week (and) I don\u2019t foresee any discussion also in the future, further sanctions from the EU side on Iran.\u201d<\/p>\n
Any EU sanctions would require the approval of all 28 member states. The EU normally works closely with the US on international sanctions but has been lobbying to keep the nuclear pact intact as Trump threatens to pull out.<\/p>\n
Romatet-Espagne noted that the nuclear and ballistic issues should be kept separate and that the ballistic missile issue was still being discussed with fellow EU governments.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, on Sunday, the Iranian Regime dismissed a call from French President Emmanuel Macron regarding ballistic missile discussions. The Regime claimed that their missiles were merely defensive and had nothing to do with the country\u2019s nuclear programme, which is simply untrue.<\/p>\n
Trump also wants to hold Iran to account for its destabilisation of the Middle East, most notably in Yemen and Syria.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
NCRI Staff NCRI – France wants to get tougher on the Iranian Regime’s ballistic missile programme, calling on Wednesday for an “uncompromising” dialogue and a possible negotiation about the programme separate […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[178],"class_list":{"0":"post-23888","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-iran-a-world","7":"tag-save"},"yoast_head":"\n