Latest news with #diplomaticsolution
The National
4 days ago
- Politics
- The National
France, UK and Germany willing to reimpose sanctions on Iran
France, Germany and Britain have told the UN they are ready to reinstate sanctions on Iran if it does not return to negotiations with the international community over its nuclear programme. The foreign ministers of the so-called E3 group wrote to the UN on Tuesday to raise the possibility of "snapback" sanctions unless Iran takes action, according to the letter, which was shared on X by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot. "We have made it clear that if Iran is not willing to reach a diplomatic solution before the end of August 2025, or does not seize the opportunity of an extension, E3 are prepared to trigger the snapback mechanism," the ministers wrote. The E3 considers that Iran's nuclear programme continues to pose a threat to world security despite US strikes on in June that ended 12 days of an Iran-Israel air war. The International Atomic Energy Agency can no longer conduct on-site inspections since Iran stopped co-operating with the IAEA after the conflict. The E3 offered a six-month snapback extension after its latest meeting with Iran in Istanbul on July 22, to which Iran has yet to respond. Without an answer, the E3 has said it will trigger snapback by the end of August to meet an October deadline. "If Iran continues to violate its international obligations, France and its German and British partners will reinstate at the end of August the global embargoes on arms, nuclear equipment and banking restrictions lifted 10 years ago," Mr Barrot said. An extension would provide "additional time for negotiations with the aim of concluding a new agreement, while maintaining the possibility of resorting to the re-establishment of relevant sanctions against Iran to prevent nuclear proliferation," the letter said. The E3 rejects claims made by Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi that it has no legal foundation to trigger snapback. The E3, China and Russia are the remaining parties to a 2015 nuclear deal reached with Iran – from which the US withdrew in 2018 – that lifted sanctions on the Middle Eastern country in return for restrictions on its nuclear programme. Iranian legislator Manouchehr Mottaki, who served as foreign minister from 2005 to 2010, said Iran's parliament "has its finger on the trigger to withdraw from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)" if international sanctions were reimposed after any E3 invocation of the snapback mechanism. Mr Mottaki told Iran's semi-official Defa Press that parliament would approve a bill to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal within 24 hours if the E3 invoked the snapback mechanism. During its 12-day war with Israel, Tehran said its legislators were preparing a bill that could push it towards exiting the treaty, ratified by Iran in 1970. The accord guarantees countries the right to pursue civilian nuclear power in return for requiring them to forgo atomic weapons and co-operate with the IAEA.
LBCI
4 days ago
- Politics
- LBCI
European powers tell UN they are ready to reimpose Iran sanctions
Britain, France, and Germany have told the United Nations they are ready to reimpose U.N.-mandated sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme if no diplomatic solution is found by the end of August, according to a joint letter obtained by AFP. The letter to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres by the foreign ministers of the three European powers says they are "committed to use all diplomatic tools at our disposal to ensure Iran does not develop a nuclear weapon" unless Tehran meets the deadline. AFP
News.com.au
4 days ago
- Politics
- News.com.au
European powers tell UN they are ready to reimpose Iran sanctions
Britain, France and Germany have told the United Nations they are ready to reimpose UN-mandated sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme if no diplomatic solution is found by the end of August, according to a joint letter obtained by AFP. The letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the UN Security Council says the three European powers are "committed to use all diplomatic tools at our disposal to ensure Iran does not develop a nuclear weapon" unless Tehran meets the deadline. The foreign ministers from the so-called E3 group threaten to use a "snapback mechanism" that was part of a 2015 international deal with Iran that eased UN Security Council sanctions. Under the deal, which terminates in October, any party to the accord can restore the sanctions. All three have stepped up warnings to Iran about its suspension of cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency. That came after Israel launched a 12-day war with Iran in June, partly seeking to destroy its nuclear capability. The United States staged its own bombing raid during the war. "We have made clear that if Iran is not willing to reach a diplomatic solution before the end of August 2025, or does not seize the opportunity of an extension, E3 are prepared to trigger the snapback mechanism," foreign ministers Jean-Noel Barrot of France, David Lammy of Britain and Johann Wadephul of Germany said in the letter. All three countries were signatories to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with the United States, China and Russia that offered the carrot and stick deal for Iran to slow its enrichment of uranium needed for a nuclear weapon. President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the accord in 2018 during his first term and ordered new sanctions. The European countries said they would stick to the accord. But their letter sets out engagements that the ministers say Iran has breached, including building up a uranium stock more than 40 times the permitted level under the 2015 deal. "The E3 remain fully committed to a diplomatic resolution to the crisis caused by Iran's nuclear programme and will continue to engage with a view to reaching a negotiated solution. "We are equally ready, and have unambiguous legal grounds, to notify the significant non-performance of JCPOA commitments by Iran ... thereby triggering the snapback mechanism, should no satisfactory solution be reached by the end of August 2025," the ministers wrote in the letter first reported by the Financial Times. - End of cooperation - The United States had already started contacts with Iran, which denies seeking a weapon, over its nuclear activities. But these were halted by the Israeli strikes in June on Iran's nuclear facilities. Even before the strikes, the international powers had raised concerns about the lack of access given to IAEA inspectors. Iran halted all cooperation with the IAEA after the strikes, but it announced that the agency's deputy chief was expected in Teheran for talks on a new cooperation deal. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi sent a letter to the UN last month saying that the European countries did not have the legal right to restore sanctions. The European ministers called this allegation "unfounded". dt/tw/lth
Reuters
4 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
France, Germany, UK willing to reinstate sanctions on Iran, FT reports
Aug 12 (Reuters) - France, Germany, and the United Kingdom have told the United Nations they are ready to reinstate sanctions on Iran if it does not return to negotiations with the international community over its nuclear programme, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday. The foreign ministers of the so-called E3 group wrote to the U.N. on Tuesday to raise the spectre of "snapback" sanctions unless Iran takes action, the report added citing a letter seen by the newspaper. "We have made it clear that if Iran is not willing to reach a diplomatic solution before the end of August 2025, or does not seize the opportunity of an extension, E3 are prepared to trigger the snapback mechanism," the ministers said in the letter, according to the report. The E3's warning comes after "serious, frank and detailed" talks with Iran in Istanbul last month, the first face-to-face meeting since Israeli and U.S. strikes on the country's nuclear sites. Reuters could not immediately verify the report. The UK, France and Germany governments did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment.
NHK
26-07-2025
- Politics
- NHK
UN Security Council holds private meeting over Thailand-Cambodia border clashes
The United Nations Security Council has met behind closed doors amid border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia. While Cambodia has called for an immediate ceasefire, Thailand is urging a resumption of dialogue through bilateral mechanisms. The emergency meeting took place on Friday at Cambodia's request. Details of what was discussed at the meeting remain unknown. Cambodia's ambassador to the UN spoke to reporters after the meeting. He said Cambodia asked for an immediate unconditional ceasefire, and also called for a peaceful solution of the dispute. The ambassador also said members of the Security Council called on both parties to exercise maximum restraint and resort to a diplomatic solution. Thailand's permanent representative to the UN released the statement he had delivered at the meeting. The representative told the Security Council that "Thailand condemns in the strongest possible terms Cambodia's indiscriminate and inhumane attacks" on civilian infrastructure. He also said that "Thailand urges Cambodia to immediately cease all hostilities and acts of aggression, and resume dialogue in good faith." The military clashes erupted on Thursday in the disputed border region between the two countries. Thai authorities say at least 14 people are dead, and Cambodia's defense ministry spokesperson says that 13 people, including eight civilians, are dead.
