- French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian demanded that Iran change its behavior in the region
- Tehran has continued to develop its ballistic missile technology but says it has no intention of acquiring atomic weapons
JEDDAH: A new diplomatic spat between Iran and France on Saturday threatened Tehran鈥檚 ability to find a way round punishing US sanctions.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Paris was ready to impose new penalties on Tehran if talks on Iran鈥檚 ballistic missile programme fail to make progress.
鈥淲e are ready, if the talks don鈥檛 yield results, to apply sanctions firmly, and they know it,鈥� Le Drian said. He also demanded that Iran curb its meddling in the region, specifically its military presence in Syria.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry replied: 鈥淚ran鈥檚 missile program is not negotiable,鈥� and warned that 鈥渁ny new sanctions by European countries will lead to a review of our relations with them.鈥�
Diplomats say new sanctions being considered by EU countries include asset freezes and travel bans on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and individuals involved in the ballistic missile program.
France is a key player in a European-backed system to ease non-dollar trade with Iran and circumvent sanctions reimposed by President Donald Trump after he withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal to curb Iran鈥檚 nuclear program.
The new pressure on Tehran 鈥渄oes not go nearly far enough,鈥� the Iranian-American Harvard scholar Dr. Majid Rafizadeh told Arab News,
鈥淎s long as France tries to help Tehran skirt US sanctions, the Iranian regime鈥檚 violations will continue,鈥� he said. 鈥淔rance needs to commit itself to meaningful joint action with the US and Arab powers to put a stop to the Iranian regime鈥檚 rogue behavior.鈥�