France, Germany, UK to reapply Iran sanctions if US talks fall through: Barrot
US and Iranian diplomats have in recent weeks held three rounds of Oman-mediated talks aimed at reaching a new deal on Iran's nuclear program.
France’s foreign minister said late Monday that his country, Germany and the United Kingdom would not hesitate to slap Iran with sanctions if talks between Tehran and Washington on a nuclear deal fall through.
"It goes without saying that when the Iranian nuclear deal expires in a few weeks, if European security interests are not guaranteed, we will not hesitate for a single second to reapply all the sanctions that were lifted 10 years ago," Jean-Noel Barrot told reporters after a closed-door meeting of the UN Security Council on non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.
"These sanctions would then permanently close off Iranian access to technology, investment, and the European market, with devastating effects on the country's economy," Barrot added. "This is not what we want, and that is why I solemnly call on Iran to take the necessary decisions today to avoid the worst."
The French minister said there was no military solution to the lack of an agreement on Iran's nuclear program, only a diplomatic one, but it is “a narrow road.”
