E3 Weigh Extension Of Sanctions On Iran's Missile Program
France, Britain and Germany are discussing how to deal with the approaching expiration of European Union sanctions against the Islamic Republic's ballistic missile program.
France, Britain and Germany are discussing how to deal with the approaching expiration of European Union sanctions against the Islamic Republic's ballistic missile program.
Speaking exclusively to Iran International, German Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Christian Wagner said: "We are in touch with our E3 partners [France and Britain] on how to deal with the issue of Iran," when asked about the possible extension of sanctions on Iran's ballistic missile program.
Set to expire in October under the 2015 nuclear deal, the sanctions have as yet failed to stall Iran's nuclear progress. Wagner said the Islamic Republic has developed its nuclear program in recent months in violation of its commitment under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
"As parties to the JCPOA and according to the UN Security Council Resolution (2231 which endorsed the JCPOA), we have commitments to respect," he added.
In his interview with Iran International, the German foreign ministry spokesman stressed that the E3 countries are discussing "what action to take" regarding the expiration of sanctions against Iran's ballistic missile program as time is running out.
European diplomats are lobbying to retain the sanctions, not only for the advancement of Iran's nuclear program but also for Iran's continued arming of Russia's war on Ukraine.
“We independently filed our claim before the International Criminal Court and support the four affected countries’ referral to the International Court of Justice,” the Association said in a statement.
“Those who ordered and carried out the crime [involving] the Ukrainian airliner will not be left alone,” Javad Soleimani who lost his young wife Elnaz Nabii in the tragedy tweeted Wednesday and said suing the Islamic Republic was a very important step to attain justice for which the Association made great efforts.
“They murdered 177 innocent civilians, blatantly disrespected their remains, looted and robbed their belongings, lied for three days until they were exposed and continued to subvert justice, the Association of Families of Flight PS752 said in a statement Wednesday.
“The Islamic regime staged show trials at an unqualified and partial military tribunal to convict an unknown patsy for negligence and failure to obey orders, and sentenced him to ten years in prison,” the statement said and thanked the four countries and their legal team for “working steadfastly towards their commitment to truth and justice.”
Some of the victims’ families held a seminar in Toronto Wednesday entitled Flight PS752, Our Mission: Truth and Justice and said they would gather at the city’s Mel Lastman Square to remember the victims.
The Association’s statement was released after the announcement of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the same day that it received a joint application by Canada, Britain, Ukraine and Sweden which constitute the International Coordination and Response Group for the Victims of Flight PS752 against the Islamic Republic of Iran concerning the dispute over the downing of the flight on January 8, 2020 which killed all 177 onboard including an unborn child.
In a press release Wednesday, ICJ in the Hague, the principal judicial organ of the United Nations often referred to as the World Court, said the applicants claim that Iran has violated a series of obligations under the Montreal Convention because of the shooting down the civilian aircraft by military personnel of the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) on January 8, 2020.
They also say Iran subsequently failed to conduct an impartial, transparent, and fair criminal investigation and prosecution consistent with international law.
“Iran must be held to account for their actions and we will continue to fight for the transparency, accountability and justice that victims' families deserve,” Canada’s minister of foreign affairs, Melanie Joly, tweeted after the announcement.
In a tweet Wednesday, UK ambassador to Tehran, Simon Shercliff, said the legal action reflects his country’s unwavering committed to achieving transparency, justice and accountability for the families of the victims.
Iran's hardliners have been comparing the incident with the downing of Flight IR655 on July 3, 1988, by the USS Vincennes. All 290 people onboard the Airbus were killed.
“With today marking the 33rd anniversary of the shooting down of the Iranian civilian airplane #IR655 which resulted in the death of 290 passengers and crew including 66 children, those who were shedding crocodile tears after the Ukrainian plane crash are nowhere to be seen,” a Twitter account bearing the name of Brigadier General Amir-Ali Hajizadeh, the Revolutionary Guards Aerospace Commander at the time of the incident, said on July 3.
Flying from Bandar Abbas in southern Iran towards Dubai, the UAE, IR655 was shot down during the Iran–Iraq War (1980-1988). The United States claimed the Vincennes crew had incorrectly identified the Airbus as an attacking Iranian Air Force F-14 Tomcat and that the airliner was targeted after ten attempts to contact the aircraft both on military and civilian frequencies to no avail.
US President Ronald Reagan sent a written diplomatic note to the Islamic republic shortly after the incident and expressed his deep regret for the shooting down of the plane and declared that reparations or compensation to the families of victims were "a matter that has to be discussed."
Chevron CVX.N said one incident involved the Richmond Voyager, a very large crude carrier managed by the US oil company, and that crew onboard were safe.
An Iranian navy vessel fired shots during the second seizure attempt, Navy Fifth Fleet spokesperson Timothy Hawkins said.
Both incidents took place in the Persian Gulf in waters between Iran and Oman.
Hawkins did not say how the US Navy prevented their seizure. Details regarding the second vessel involved in the incident were not immediately clear.
Since 2019, there have been a series of attacks on shipping in the strategic Persian Gulf waters at times of tension between the United States and Iran.
Iran seized two oil tankers in a week just over a month ago, the US Navy said.
In May, the United States announced that it was bolstering its presence in the Persian Gulf to counter destabilizing actions by Iran against commercial shipping.
“[The] United States will not allow foreign or regional powers to jeopardize freedom of navigation through the Middle East waterways, including the Strait of Hormuz,” National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby told reporters May 12. The US Navy in early June said that Iran had interfered with or attacked 15 internationally flagged merchant ships over the past two years.
Iran’s provocative actions come as attempts to restrict its uranium enrichment and reaching a nuclear agreement have remained unsuccessful since President Joe Biden assumed office in January 2021. Since then, Iran has expanded military cooperation with Russia, supplying hundreds of kamikaze drones that are being used in Ukraine against civilian and military targets.
About a fifth of the world's supply of crude oil and oil products passes through the Strait of Hormuz, a choke point between Iran and Oman, according to data from analytics firm Vortexa.
Refinitiv ship tracking data shows the Richmond Voyager previously docked in Ras Tannoura in eastern Saudi Arabia before Wednesday's incident in the Persian Gulf.
A Chevon spokesperson said "there is no loss of life, injury, or loss of containment" aboard the Richmond Voyager.
"The vessel is operating normally. The safety of our crew is our top priority," the spokesperson said in a statement.
In early June Iran claimed that it was forming an alliance with Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf states, as well as India and Pakistan.
"The countries of the region have today realized that only cooperation with each other brings security to the area," Iranian army's navy commander Shahram Irani was quoted as saying June 3.
The US reacted quickly saying it “defies reason” for the Islamic Republic to be part of a regional naval alliance while it is the main reason for maritime insecurity in the Persian Gulf region.
US 5th Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces spokesperson Cmdr. Tim Hawkins told Breaking Defense, a digital news outlet on global military, “It defies reason that Iran, the number one cause of regional instability, claims it wants to form a naval security alliance to protect the very waters it threatens.”
With reporting by Reuters
