Europeans warn Iran of UN sanctions unless concrete progress on nuclear talks
PARIS - France, Britain and Germany told Iran on Thursday that they wanted Tehran to resume diplomacy immediately over its nuclear programme and warned if there were no concrete steps by the end of the summer they would restore U.N. sanctions.
The foreign ministers of the so-called E3, along with the European Union's foreign policy chief, held their first call with Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi since Israel and the United States carried out air strikes in mid-June on Iran's nuclear programme.
Speaking after the call, a French diplomatic source said the ministers had called on Iran to resume diplomatic efforts immediately to reach a "verifiable and lasting" nuclear deal.
The three countries, along with China and Russia, are the remaining parties to a 2015 deal with Iran that lifted sanctions on the country in return for restrictions on its nuclear programme.
A U.N. Security Council resolution which enshrines the deal expires on October 18 and under its terms U.N. sanctions can be re-imposed beforehand. The process would take about 30 days.
The Europeans have repeatedly warned that unless there is a new nuclear accord they will launch the "snapback mechanism", which would restore all previous U.N. sanctions on Iran if it is found to be in violation of the agreement's terms.
"The ministers also reiterated their determination to use the so-called 'snapback' mechanism in the absence of concrete progress toward such an agreement by the end of the summer," the diplomatic source said.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore Driverless bus in Sentosa gets green light to run without safety officer in first for S'pore
Asia Malaysia's King appoints Wan Ahmad Farid as new Chief Justice
World Trump diagnosed with vein condition causing leg swelling, White House says
Opinion Is your child getting drawn to drugs? Don't look away and don't give up
World US strikes destroyed only one of three Iranian nuclear sites, says new report
Business 5 things to know about Kuok Hui Kwong, tycoon Robert Kuok's daughter and Shangri-La Asia head honcho
Asia Air India probe into Boeing 787 fuel control switches finds no issues
Singapore Sex first, then you can sell my flat: Women property agents fend off indecent proposals and harassment
The source did not elaborate what concrete progress would entail.
Since the air strikes, inspectors from the U.N. atomic watchdog have left Iran. While Iran has suggested it is open to diplomacy, there are no indications a sixth round of nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran will resume imminently.
Diplomats say that even if they were to resume talks, reaching a comprehensive accord before the end of August - the final deadline the Europeans have given - seems unrealistic, especially without inspectors on the ground to assess Iran's remaining nuclear programme.
Two European diplomats said they hoped to coordinate strategy with the United States in the coming days with a view to possibly holding talks with Iran soon. REUTERS
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
9 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Malaysia's tourist arrivals up 20% from Jan to May, ministry says
Find out what's new on ST website and app. The South-east Asian country recorded just over 25 million international tourist arrivals in 2024, falling short of its 27.3 million target. KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia recorded 16.9 million international tourist arrivals from January to May of this year, a 20 per cent increase from the same period of 2024, the tourism ministry said. About half of Malaysia's total international tourist arrivals during the first five months of the year were from neighbouring Singapore with 8.34 million visitors, followed by Indonesia at 1.82 million, China at 1.81 million, and Thailand at 1.06 million, the tourism ministry said in a written parliamentary reply on July 21. Arrivals from 'long-haul markets' such as Australia and the United Kingdom also saw increases of 16.6 per cent and 8.7 per cent respectively, compared to the same period in 2024, the ministry added. 'This increase in foreign visitor numbers clearly reflects the effectiveness of various initiatives implemented by the government through strategic approaches, progressive policies such as the visa liberalisation plan, and support and incentives given to industry players,' the ministry said. The South-east Asian country recorded just over 25 million international tourist arrivals in 2024, falling short of its 27.3 million target. Malaysia is targeting 47 million international tourist arrivals in 2026, with a focus on key markets such as Central Asia, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Europe, and Oceania, the tourism ministry said. REUTERS
Business Times
9 minutes ago
- Business Times
Julius Baer's first-half profit falls 35% on loan provisions, Brazil unit sale
[BERN] Swiss bank Julius Baer posted a first-half profit of 295 million francs (S$473.5 million) on Tuesday (Jul 22), down 35 per cent year-on-year, pressured by loan loss provisions and a charge related to the sale of its Brazilian wealth management unit. The decline reflected earlier-flagged writedown of 130 million Swiss francs, the bank said, adding that it made strong progress on legacy issues. 'We are now in full execution mode of our strategic agenda, focused on our core wealth management lane, balancing sustainable growth and cost discipline with strengthened risk management,' CEO Stefan Bollinger told journalists. To date, the bank had no additional loan loss allowances to report, Bollinger added. 'Once the credit review has been completed, we'll be in a position to decide whether or not additional loan loss allowances are required,' he said. Net new money more than doubled year-on-year to 7.9 billion Swiss francs, bringing assets under management to 483 billion francs, as of end-June, Julius Baer said in its half-year results presentation. Positive effects of solid net new money and rising global equity market valuations were more than offset by the impact of the weaker US dollar and the sale of Julius Baer Brazil in March 2025, the bank said. The bank is on track to achieve 130 million Swiss francs in additional gross cost savings by the end of 2025, according to the statement. REUTERS
AsiaOne
39 minutes ago
- AsiaOne
Taiwan, EU both face threats of 'external infiltration', president tells European lawmakers, World News
TAIPEI — Taiwan and the European Union (EU) share the same values of freedom and democracy, but both also face similar threats from "external infiltration", President Lai Ching-te told visiting European lawmakers on Tuesday (July 22). Taiwan views the EU as one of its most important like-minded democratic partners, despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties, and the bloc has had to balance its support for the Chinese-claimed island with relations with Beijing, which views Taiwan as its own territory. China confirmed on Monday it will hold a top-level summit with the EU in Beijing this week marking 50 years of diplomatic ties as both sides seek to navigate trade disputes amid broader global trade uncertainties. Lai, meeting members of the European Parliament's Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield at the presidential office in Taipei, said Taiwan and the EU not only have close economic and trade ties, but also share the values of democracy and freedom. "But in recent years, both have encountered information interference and infiltration by external forces which have attempted to manipulate the results of democratic elections, create confrontation in society, and shake people's confidence in democracy," he said, according to a statement from his office. Taiwan, which rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims, has repeatedly accused China of interfering in its democracy, spreading fake news and undermining public trust in the government. China denies the accusations, but says Taiwan's government is seeking foreign support to push its own "separatist" agenda. For their part, many European countries say Russia has similarly been seeking to discredit European governments and destabilise the EU. Moscow rejects the allegations. Lai said that democracies work not to fight against anyone, but to safeguard a "treasured" way of life, just as Europe strives to promote the spirit of pluralism and human rights. "Standing at the forefront of the world's defence of democracy, Taiwan is determined to work to safeguard democracy, peace and prosperity around the world, and hopes to share its experience with Europe," he added. [[nid:720481]]
