EU Threatens to Support Iran Sanctions

From DefenseNews

EU Threatens Support for Sanctions Against Iran

By BROOKS TIGNER, BRUSSELS

Tense back-channel talks are under way between European Union countries and Iran to persuade the latter from re-starting its nuclear enrichment research — an activity Tehran promised in late 2005 to freeze in exchange for a new economic and political relationship with Europe. The EU lead nations of Germany, France and the United Kingdom — the so-called EU3 — are warning they will support United Nations sanctions, long desired by Washington, if Iran does not immediately reverse its position.

European support for U.N. sanctions “would certainly see them come into effect quite fast,” a European diplomat told DefenseNews.com on May 16.

The EU3 countries initially scored a major diplomatic achievement by persuading Iran during a meeting in Paris in November to cease its nuclear enrichment program, thus avoiding general sanctions.

But Tehran has given less-than-clear signals since then about how permanent its decision would be. This ambivalence culminated in an announcement May 10 by Mohammed Saeedi, deputy chief of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, that his country soon would reopen a conversion plant in Isfahan in contravention of the Paris agreement.

The European response was swift and unambiguous, with Germany, France and the United Kingdom sending a joint letter May 12 to Hassan Rouhani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, warning that his government would face sanctions if it unfreezes its uranium conversion program.

“The situation is confusing,” the diplomat said, adding that “there seem to be conflicting policy camps within Iran.”

But an EU official said May 18 that Rouhani “seems to be re-thinking Iran’s position” and has agreed to meet the EU3 and Javier Solana, the top EU official for security and defense policy, early the week of May 23 to discuss the matter. “There simply are no grounds to break the Paris agreement,” said the official.

In their May 12 letter, a copy of which was given to DefenseNews.com, the EU3 state categorically that any change to Iran’s suspended enrichment activities “would bring the negotiating process [between Iran and the EU for new relations] to an end. The consequences beyond could only be negative for Iran.”

Members of the European Parliament’s largest political group, the Socialists, also have condemned Iran’s policy reversal, saying they “deplore any resumption of nuclear activity by Iran.” The Socialist lawmakers warn Tehran that “international sanctions will be imposed” if it does not resume its dialogue with Europe.