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France says EU could impose Iran sanctions over missile tests
France’s new Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault yesterday indicated that the European Union (EU) could impose new sanctions on Iran, as a result of ballistic missile tests carried out last week by Tehran, which appear to breach United Nations (UN) Security Council resolutions.
Last week, Iranian state television showed images of missiles, which the report claimed was medium-range Qiam-1 missiles, being fired from a variety of underground locations. Later images showed that the missiles were marked with the words “Israel must be wiped out” in Hebrew. The tests are the third ballistic missile tests Iran has conducted since signing a long-term nuclear agreement with the P5+1 powers (US, UK, France, Russia, China and Germany) in July. Related nuclear sanctions on Iran were lifted in January.
Such tests are a breach of UN Security Council Resolution 1929, passed in 2010, which bans Iran from any ballistic missile development capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using ballistic missile technology. It is also a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2231, passed the day after July’s accord was signed, which compels Iran to refrain from any work on ballistic missiles for eight years. In January, the United States imposed new sanctions on Iranian individuals and businesses linked to missile tests in October.
Yesterday, Jean-Marc Ayrault was asked whether last week’s missile tests could trigger similar EU sanctions. He replied, “We condemn ballistic missile tests and, if necessary, sanctions will be enacted.” EU foreign ministers are meeting today, to discuss a range of issues. Over the weekend, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged world powers to take “immediate punitive steps” against Iran over its missile testing.
In an unrelated diplomatic development, Israel’s former-Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni travelled to Sweden over the weekend and met the country’s Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom, who has recently accused Israel of extrajudicial executions in tackling terrorists attacking Israelis. Wallstrom apparently agreed to publicly support Israel’s right to defend itself and express her opposition to boycotts against Israel.