Latest news with #embargo
Reuters
31-07-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Slovenia imposes arms embargo on Israel
ATHENS, July 31 (Reuters) - Slovenia on Thursday imposed an embargo on exports, imports and transit of arms to Israel, two weeks after it declared Israeli ministers persona non grata, the state news agency STA reported citing a government statement. The measure was announced by Prime Minister Robert Golob after a government session. Golob said that Slovenia was the first European country to make such a move, STA reported. Slovenia recognised a Palestinian state in June last year and has since repeatedly called for a ceasefire in Gaza and increased aid deliveries to the enclave. Israel has denounced declarations last week by France, Britain and Canada that they may recognise a Palestinian state, saying that it would reward Hamas for its October 7, 2023 assault on Israeli territory. Earlier on Thursday U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a bid to salvage Gaza truce talks and tackle a humanitarian crisis.
The Guardian
15-07-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Europe gives Iran deadline to contain nuclear programme or see sanctions reinstated
The EU will start the process of reinstating UN sanctions on Iran from 29 August if Tehran has made no progress by then on containing its nuclear programme, the bloc has announced. Speaking at a meeting of his EU counterparts, the French foreign minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, said: 'France and its partners are … justified in reapplying global embargos on arms, banks and nuclear equipment that were lifted 10 years ago. Without a firm, tangible and verifiable commitment from Iran, we will do so by the end of August at the latest.' Europeans have been largely elbowed aside from the Iranian nuclear issue by Donald Trump, who ordered the bombing of Iran's nuclear sites last month, and this intervention can be seen as an attempt to reassert Europe's influence. The end of August deadline starts a process that could see an armoury of sanctions reimposed by 15 October, giving European signatories to the 2015 nuclear deal – the UK, France and Germany – a continuing lever in negotiations with Iran. The European powers want to see the return of the UN nuclear inspectorate to Iran in part to prevent Iran trying to reconfigure its nuclear programme after the damage inflicted by the US strikes in June. The way in which the 2015 nuclear deal was negotiated does not allow the other signatories, China or Russia, to veto the sanctions snapback, but the European states can defer the imposition of snapback beyond October to allow time for further consultation. The US, after leaving the nuclear deal in 2018, also cannot veto the UK or French move. The sanctions snapback would be triggered under chapter V11 of the UN charter, making the reinstatement of six UN resolutions mandatory, including one that requires Iran to suspend all activities related to uranium enrichment and reprocessing, including at the research and development level. Another reimposed resolution would require all UN member states to prevent the transfer of any items, materials or technologies that could serve these activities or Iran's missile programme. Iranian sanctions experts claim the reinstated resolutions would not automatically halt all Iranian oil exports, cut off Iran's access to international financial systems, or cut off general trade communications. But all countries and international financial institutions would have to refrain from providing financial assistance, new commitments, or preferential loans to the Iranian government, except for humanitarian and development purposes. Abbas Araghchi, the Iranian foreign minister, has said recently the activation of snapback 'will mean the end of Europe's role in the Iranian nuclear issue and may be the darkest point in the history of Iran's relations with the three European countries; a point that may never be repaired.' He said: 'It would mark the end of Europe's role as a mediator between Iran and the US.' He told diplomats at the weekend 'One of the big mistakes of the Europeans is that they think that the 'snapback' tool in their hands gives them the power to act on the Iranian nuclear issue; while this is a completely wrong perception. If these countries move towards snapback, they will make the resolution of the Iranian nuclear issue even more complicated and difficult.'
The National
23-06-2025
- Politics
- The National
Spain calls for immediate suspension of EU-Israel relations 'over human rights violations'
Spain's Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares on Monday called for the immediate suspension of the EU-Israel trade agreement after a report said there were indications Israel was in breach of human rights rules. The report, which could imperil EU-Israel relations, was being studied by the bloc's foreign ministers, though diplomats expect no proposals for concrete action until next month. Spain and Ireland, two countries that first called for a review of relations with Israel a year and a half ago, have said they want a full suspension of relations. 'Today is just the day to acknowledge what we all knew many months ago. There are violations of human rights,' Mr Albares said. 'If the association agreement is based on human rights, it's the most normal thing that we suspend immediately, today, this association agreement.' He also called for an embargo on EU countries selling weapons to Israel and for the widening of individual sanctions on anyone undermining the proposed two-state solution. Spain has already cancelled arms deals with Israel. The consequences are about trying to change behaviour, trying to use every lever at our disposal to end the genocidal activity that we're seeing in Gaza Irish Foreign Minister Simon Harris According to the review by the EU's diplomatic corps, the European External Action Service (EEAS), 'there are indications that Israel would be in breach of its human rights obligations under Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement'. The report pointed to Israel's blockade of aid in Gaza, the high number of casualties and attacks on medical facilities. Its sources include the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the International Court of Justice. The death toll in Gaza is close to 56,000 after 20 months of Israeli military action. In recent weeks, hundreds have been killed near aid distribution sites run by the US and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. The suspension of ties would require a unanimous decision, which would probably be impossible to obtain given that countries such as Austria, Germany and Hungary tend to back Israel. Most EU countries reject the idea of breaking off contact with Israel, including the Netherlands – the state which led the most recent call for a review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement in March after Israel breached a ceasefire in Gaza. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said he was against suspending the EU-Israel Association Agreement. 'Our position is different from that of Spain,' Mr Tajani said, adding that it was important to keep relations open with Israel because it had been of use in the evacuation of some civilians out of Gaza. His Irish counterpart, Simon Harris, said he 'personally' supports a full suspension of the EU-Israel association agreement, but recognised 'there would not be consensus for that. That would require unanimity.' 'The consequences aren't about punishment,' Mr Harris said, in response to a question from The National. 'The consequences are about trying to change behaviour, trying to use every lever at our disposal to end the genocidal activity that we're seeing in Gaza.' EU ministers will meet again in July, which is when they are expected to discuss 'potential options in reaction to the conclusions of the review', an EU diplomat said before the meeting. The EU has repeatedly called for Israel to allow unhindered humanitarian aid into Gaza, to little avail. 'It will not be consensual, but we hope that a big group of member states can subscribe to the conclusion of the review,' the diplomat said. The EU-Israel Association Agreement, which gives Israeli goods preferential access to the EU market, is rooted in respect for human rights by both parties. A third of Israel's imports come from the EU, valued at $27 billion annually, while Europe imports less than 1 per cent of its goods from Israel, according to the EU Directorate-General for Trade and Economic Security. A review was requested in March by the Netherlands and supported by 17 out of 27 EU states. Those who opposed it included Germany. 'When all the focus is on Iran and the escalation regarding Iran, we should not forget about Gaza,' said the Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp, who led the charge for the review. While a unanimous vote would be needed to suspend the EU-Israel agreement entirely, a partial suspension is possible with a simple majority vote. Diplomats have declined to speculate on that possibility due to the sensitivity of the topic, and have said they will wait for the EEAS's recommendations. The EEAS delivered the eight-page report to states on Friday. Some countries complained that they were not given enough time to study it before Monday's meeting of foreign ministers. A senior EEAS official dismissed that, saying: 'Sometimes it takes [a] long [time], sometimes it takes [a] shorter [time]. That is also how it works when you have difficult documents and make sure also that the right assessment is being made again.' Israel has criticised the report's conclusions. 'This report and its conclusions should not be taken seriously or used as a basis for any future actions or conversations,' Israel said in a letter to the EU Commission and the EEAS, according to Euronews. 'Decency would dictate addressing the report's shortcomings and dismissing it in its entirety,' it said.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Lionsgate's Staggered ‘Ballerina' Embargo For 'Enthusiastic' & 'Critical Sentiment' Irks Reviewers
We're all atune to the increasingly curated early responses to movies from distributors but this was beyond the pale for many. Lionsgate yesterday sent out an email to Ballerina critics and reviewers in which it told them that 'spoiler-free enthusiasm' on social media is allowed starting on May 22 but that 'critical social sentiment & formal reviews are embargoed until' June 4. More from Deadline Michael Jackson Biopic Returning To Production As Lionsgate Mulls Splitting Pic Into Two Lionsgate Confirms It May Split Michael Jackson Biopic Into Two Movies As Release Is Pushed - Update New Lionsgate Studios Swings To The Black, Revenue Pops In First Quarterly Report As Standalone Company Quite rightly, this bent many out of shape. That's an unethical demand for most. Critics we spoke to hadn't heard of an embargo edict going that far before. Many online were also perturbed. We hear from studio sources that this was a case of poor wording and that following the outcry marketers reached out to those who received the note to let them know that they're welcome to express whatever opinion they have of the movie. That would be a good outcome if it came to pass. Hopefully the rowing back wasn't only a result of the outcry. The early reaction and influencer curated responses to movies have been growing in the wrong direction for a while. We don't need anymore blurring of the critical boundaries. Best of Deadline 'Poker Face' Season 2 Guest Stars: From Katie Holmes To Simon Hellberg Everything We Know About Amazon's 'Verity' Movie So Far Everything We Know About 'The Testaments,' Sequel Series To 'The Handmaid's Tale' So Far
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Chile president to ramp up decarbonization, pressure on Israel as term winds down
By Alexander Villegas VALPARAISO, Chile (Reuters) -Chile's President Gabriel Boric said on Sunday that he will accelerate renewable energy efforts and step up pressure against Israel over its war in Gaza among other initiatives during his government's last nine months in office. In a wide-ranging three-hour speech from Congress in the coastal city of Valparaiso that marked his last annual address, Boric also discussed crime, infrastructure, the economy and abortion rights. In comments that sparked the largest amount of cheers and jeers from opposite sides of Congress, Boric said he will introduce a law to ban imports from what he called "illegally occupied territories" and back efforts by Spain for an arms embargo against Israel. Boric, an outspoken critic of Israel, had recently recalled military personnel from Chile's embassy in the country and summoned the ambassador for questioning. Chile's government will also introduce an "accelerated decarbonization" bill that aims to boost investment in renewable energy sources, help end coal-powered thermoelectric plants and move the country's 2040 goal to decarbonize the electric grid up to 2035. Boric added that a bill to speed up the permitting process for new projects was weeks away from being approved, a long-awaited request by miners, renewable energy companies and other investors. Its goal is to cut permitting times by 30% to 70%, Boric said. "Investment projects won't develop to their full potential if we don't modernize and speed up permitting," Boric said, while also touting his plan to expand lithium mining, led by state copper giant Codelco. Critics have rebuked Boric for not making major reforms he promised as a candidate, and for failing to see through a rewrite of the dictatorship-era constitution that was knocked back twice by voters. Boric appeared to recognize the complaints, while defending his record. "Have we achieved everything we wanted, with the depth we wanted? No, but we have made progress in that direction, with the conditions under which we had to govern," he said.
