Iran’s top diplomat Mohammad Javad Zarif is due to receive European support for the Iran nuclear deal on Thursday, ahead of Donald Trump’s imminent decision to reinstate US sanctions against Tehran.
Even though the chief diplomat of the European Union, Federica Mogherini, wants to isolate this file from the many other contentious issues with Tehran, Mr Zarif will have to respond to the concerns of his French, German and British counterparts after the recent violence against protesters in Iran.
But the urgency in the eyes of Europeans is to once again block to defend the international agreement on the Iranian nuclear program signed in 2015 after more than a decade of bitter negotiations.
The United States “is preparing to denounce the Iranian nuclear deal and thus destroy a success in efforts to prevent the military nuclear continues to spread around the world,” said Sunday the German Minister of Foreign Affairs Foreign Sigmar Gabriel.
Trump, fierce critic of the agreement, will say in the coming days if he re-imposes a series of economic sanctions that were suspended after the dismantling of uranium enrichment facilities including, in accordance with this compromise deemed historic by other major powers that have negotiated it (Russia, China, France, United Kingdom and Germany).
– ‘Hostile actions’ –
According to two sources, the US president had not decided Wednesday night, while the decision will probably be announced Friday.
Tehran has already promised retaliation, saying “prepared for all scenarios”. In Moscow, where he came to seek support from Russia on Wednesday, Zarif denounced “the destructive policy of the United States.”
“The United States must realize the unanimity of the international community over the nuclear agreement and correct its policy accordingly,” he said, calling on the major powers to “resist hostile actions” of the Trump administration.
Ms Mogherini, who chaired the negotiations on behalf of the EU, pledged to do everything possible to preserve this agreement deemed essential to stem nuclear proliferation, including meeting Washington members of Congress hostile to the text.
But the meeting will undoubtedly also be the opportunity to discuss with Mr. Zarif the issues that are angry, starting with the development of ballistic missiles by Iran and its support for the regime of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria, Hezbollah Lebanese and the Houthi rebellion in Yemen.
– ‘Extremely hard’ –
The 28 EU countries lamented “the unacceptable loss of human lives” while recent protests in Iran have killed 21 people. They had called, through Ms. Mogherini’s voice, “all parties concerned” to abstain “from all violence”.
“There are obviously areas of disagreement with Iran, starting with its destabilizing regional activity and its ballistic missile program, which will be an important part of our conversation,” British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson said in a statement. communicated.
But “the Iranian nuclear deal makes the world safer, it is vital that we continue to work with our European partners to preserve the Iran agreement, as well as the security and prosperity it brings to the people of Iran and the world. “, did he declare.
“We will continue to urge our friends in the White House not to throw it in the trash”, had already launched Mr. Johnson Tuesday in front of the Westminster Parliament. “This agreement, which prevents Iranians from making nuclear weapons in exchange for a greater economic partnership with the rest of the world, remains useful and valid,” he said.
The Thursday morning meeting should be followed by a press conference by Ms Mogherini and MM. Gabriel, Johnson and French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian.