EU to discuss new anti-Iran sanctions: French FM

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius says the European Union is set to discuss this week whether it needs to impose new sanctions on Iran over its ballistic missile program, days after the lifting of nuclear-related bans. 

“We have to compare the American system and European system and to see if there are new sanctions to take or not, and this exercise will be implemented this week,” Fabius said Monday during a visit to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Fabius’ comments came a day after the United States announced fresh sanctions on 11 companies and individuals for supplying the Islamic Republic’s ballistic missile program. Iran has condemned the new sanctions as destructive. 

The US Department of the Treasury said in a statement that five Iranian citizens and a network of companies based in the UAE and China were added to a US blacklist, claiming that the Islamic Republic’s ballistic missile program poses a “threat to regional and global security.

Last October, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corpse (IRGC) successfully test-fired a ballistic missile named Emad. Following the test, Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan said the precision-guided long-range missile is a conventional armament.

Tehran has repeatedly rejected claims that it is planning to produce ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, saying its missile program is for deterrence.

Earlier in the day, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said the country will continue to enhance its missile capabilities in defiance of the “destructive” US sanctions over the country’s missile program.

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani also said in late December that the country’s missiles were a “conventional and important” instrument for defending the country.

“Nuclear weapons have no place in Iran’s defense doctrine; therefore, Iran’s ballistic missiles have not been designed to carry nuclear warheads,” said the Iranian president, stressing that the country would not accept any restrictions on its legitimate right to promote its defense might.

Elsewhere in his comments, the top French diplomat said he would visit the Saudi capital, Riyadh, on Tuesday to meet King Salman and other officials.

Fabius said during his visit he would make efforts to de-escalate recent diplomatic tensions between Riyadh and Tehran, sparked by the kingdom’s execution of top cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr on January 2.

“Our view as France is to try to de-escalate pressure,” he said, adding France would also discuss different issues with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who is due to visit Paris next week.

Syria peace talks

Commenting on the issue of Syrian conflict, Fabius said it was not yet possible to confirm that a planned UN-organized January 25 peace meeting would take place. He added that it was up to the United Nations to confirm it.

“Obviously we hope the negotiations will take place but there are some questions which have to be answered. … This included confidence-building measures” and a halt in fighting by the negotiating sides, he said.

The comments come as diplomatic efforts are underway at the international level aimed at resolving the deadly crisis, which has claimed the lives of over 260, 000 people since it broke out in Syria in March 2011.

France is among the western countries supporting the militants fighting the Syrian government forces. 

Three rounds of talks have been held over the past few months on the issue, but the talks have not produced any tangible results.

The participants remain divided on the fate of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. They are also working to draw up a list of true Syrian opposition representatives and the terror groups.

Last month, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution supporting an international roadmap for a peace process in Syria. The resolution called for a nationwide ceasefire in Syria and the formation of a “credible, inclusive and non-sectarian” government within six months and UN-supervised “free and fair elections” within 18 months.

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