France Threatens to Block UN Sanctions Relief for Iran

The French Republic has announced it will block the lifting of United Nations sanctions on Iran unless the terms of a final nuclear agreement are satisfactory. Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot stated that regional stability requires negotiations to address not only the nuclear program, but also Iran's ballistic missile program and its support for proxies.

This stance follows a recent agreement between the United States and Iran to conduct negotiations over the next 60 days. Because the final deal requires endorsement from the United Nations Security Council, France, Britain, and Germany are seeking a direct role in the talks. These nations have expressed concern that an inexperienced U.S. negotiating team may fail to secure the necessary concessions from the Iranian regime.

France emphasizes that as a permanent member of the Security Council, its approval is mandatory for the removal of sanctions that were originally established at the United Nations level. The French government maintains that sanctions relief must be strictly linked to a radical change in posture by the Iranian regime.