PARIS/LONDON, Sept 14 (Reuters) – Britain, France and Germany said on Thursday they would retain ballistic missile and nuclear proliferation-related sanctions on Iran that were set to expire in October under the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, a step that could provoke Iranian retaliation.
Reuters first reported in June that European diplomats had told Iran they planned to keep the measures.
“In direct response to Iran’s consistent and severe non-compliance with its JCPoA commitments since 2019, the governments of France, Germany, and the United Kingdom intend to maintain nuclear proliferation-related measures on Iran, as well as arms and missile embargoes, after Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) Transition Day on 18 October 2023,” a spokesperson for the three countries, known as the E3, said in a statement.
European sources had cited three reasons for keeping the sanctions: Russia’s use of Iranian drones against Ukraine; the possibility Iran might transfer ballistic missiles to Russia; and depriving Iran of the nuclear deal’s benefits given Tehran has violated the accord, albeit only after the United States did so first.
Iran rejected the decision as “illegal and provocative”.
“Undoubtedly, Iran will respond appropriately to this …. action which clearly violates the obligations of the EU, France, Germany and Britain under the JCPOA and the Resolution 2231,” Iran’s foreign ministry said in a statement, referring to a U.N. resolution that endorsed the 2015 nuclear pact. …