The French diplomat once more reiterated the threat to activate the snapback mechanism and claimed that “if, by the end of summer, a serious, verifiable, and lasting agreement is not reached, France, Germany, and the UK will have no option but to reimpose the global sanctions that had been canceled 10 years ago after the signing of the nuclear agreement—sanctions that will target Iran’s armed sector, nuclear equipment, and banking system.”
While only a few days have passed since Tehran’s first negotiation with the European Troika following the act of aggression by the Zionist regime and the U.S. against Iran, Jean-Noël Barrot once again threatened the Islamic Republic of Iran with activating the snapback mechanism.
In an interview with the program Face the Nation, and in response to a question about the possibility of Iran’s covert nuclear activity after the 12-day war with the Zionist regime and moving toward building nuclear weapons without drawing the world’s attention, Barrot said, “We are still facing this threat. Together with Germany and the UK, we have clearly announced that Iran must not acquire nuclear weapons.”
Without referring to the unilateral and illegal withdrawal of the U.S. from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), he said, “We have, in close coordination with the U.S., reached out to Iran to express our expectations. Ten years ago, we reached an agreement on Iran’s nuclear capacity that contained its program to a large extent. But the situation has changed since then.”
The French official claimed that “Iran has breached all the commitments it had accepted at the time of signing it.”
Regarding the dimensions and demands of their recent negotiation with Tehran, Barrot said, “At the moment, we are seeking a broader agreement—an agreement that does not just include the nuclear dimension but also includes missile components and Iran’s destabilizing regional activities.”
The French diplomat once more reiterated the threat to activate the snapback mechanism and claimed that “if, by the end of summer, a serious, verifiable, and lasting agreement is not reached, France, Germany, and the UK will have no option but to reimpose the global sanctions that had been canceled 10 years ago after the signing of the nuclear agreement—sanctions that will target Iran’s armed sector, nuclear equipment, and banking system.”
Asked if France is ready to reimpose sanctions against Iran in August and if it demands Iran to directly negotiate with the U.S. to prevent such a scenario, Barrot said, “We talk with Stive Wittkof, the special envoy of Trump in the Middle East, and Mark Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State, on a weekly basis on this issue, which is important for both Europe and the U.S.”
He referred to increasing pressure on Iran to return to the negotiation table with the U.S. after the recent war and added, “We have supported the U.S. attempts to bring Iran back to the negotiating table. At the moment, we are applying pressure, because if a firm agreement is not reached by the end of August, we will have no option but to reimpose sanctions. We are ready to impose these sanctions.”
Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi had said before the Istanbul negotiations: “After the war, it was vital that they be aware the Islamic Republic of Iran’s stance is still strong and firm. Our enrichment will continue; we will not back down on people’s rights. Tomorrow’s talks are the continuation of the previous ones, and the world should know that our stance is clear and has not changed. We defend the right of Iranians on the nuclear issue and especially defend their right to enrichment.”
