France warns Iran against further breaches of nuclear deal
France warned Iran on Tuesday against carrying out
any further measures that could hinder its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers,
but appeared to hold off on confronting Tehran over its decision to exceed its
low enriched uranium (LEU) limits.
France, along with Britain and Germany, is seeking
to save the deal since US President Donald Trump quit the accord last year and
imposed punishing sanctions on Iran.
Paris had been cautious about responding following
Monday’s confirmation by the International Atomic Energy Agency that Tehran had
amassed more LEU than permitted under the accord.
President Emmanuel Macron recalled “his attachment
to the full respect of the 2015 nuclear accord and asks Iran to reverse without
delay this excess, as well as to avoid all extra measures that would put into
question its nuclear commitments,” the French presidency said in a statement.
The move is a test of European diplomacy after
French, British and German officials had promised a strong diplomatic response
if Iran fundamentally breached the deal.
The Europeans, who opposed Trump’s decision to
abandon the agreement, had pleaded with Iran to keep within its parameters.
Under the terms of the deal, if any party believes
Iran has violated the agreement, they can trigger a dispute resolution process
that could end at the UN Security Council with a so-called snapback of UN
sanctions on Iran.
The French presidency statement said that Macron
would take steps in coming days to ensure Iran met its obligations and
continued to benefit from the economic advantages of the deal.
Officials did not immediately clarify what those
steps would be.
The European powers are
attempting to establish a trade barter mechanism system with Iran to enable
medical and food transfers to satisfy some of Tehran’s demands that its
economic needs are met despite the US sanctions.
However, the system falls short of ensuring oil
sales revenue as Iran has called for.
