European Union Invites Zarif for Dialogue on Iran Protests

The German Foreign Minister states that the European Union intends to invite Iran's Foreign Minister for discussions regarding the recent widespread protests in Iran. Sigmar Gabriel mentioned that this decision was made following consultations with the EU's foreign policy chief. On January 7, he told the public broadcaster ZDF that 'together with the EU's chief foreign policy representative [Federica Mogherini], we decided to invite the Iranian Foreign Minister' to engage in dialogue about the recent protests in Iran. Gabriel referred to 'next week' as a 'possible time' for this, but did not provide further details. In another part of his remarks, he added, 'We quickly emphasized that we support the freedom to protest and believe the government should also support this right.' According to AFP, Gabriel further stated that Berlin does not intend to follow the statements made by the U.S. President. Donald Trump and his administration have supported Iranian citizens and protesters in various instances over the past few days. On January 3, Trump tweeted, 'Great respect for the people of Iran who are trying to reclaim their country from the corrupt regime. You will see great support from the United States at the appropriate time!' Gabriel noted that Germany and France have 'warned against using Iran's internal conflicts for instrumental purposes.' On January 5, a meeting was held at the UN Security Council at the request of the United States in connection with the protests and unrest in Iran. During this meeting, Nikki Haley, the U.S. Ambassador to the UN, praised the protesters in Iran, stating they need help from the world. She mentioned that the unrest in Iran affects not only human rights but also global peace and security. However, France, a U.S. ally and another permanent member of the Security Council, stated that the events in Iran cannot be considered 'a threat to global peace and security.' Francois Delattre, the French ambassador, said, 'As concerning as the recent events in Iran may be, they do not reach the level of being defined as a threat to global security and peace.' The Security Council meeting faced strong objections from the Islamic Republic. Senior Iranian officials, including the country's leader, have accused some foreign countries, including the U.S., of being involved in the recent protests. U.S. officials, including the U.S. Ambassador to the UN, the CIA Director, and senior government officials, have denied these accusations, stating that the protests stem from citizens' dissatisfaction with the prevailing economic and political conditions in Iran. The recent protests in Iran began on January 1 and quickly spread to various cities. The initial protests over economic conditions soon took on a political nature, with slogans against the leader and institutions of the Islamic Republic, or in support of the Pahlavi kings. Reports indicate that at least 21 people have been killed during these protests, and hundreds, including an unspecified number of students, have been arrested. These protests are considered unprecedented in the past decade. Last week, the German Foreign Minister expressed concern over the deaths of protesters in Iran and urged the Islamic Republic to respect the people's rights. The European Union has also emphasized that it is closely monitoring the events and expects the right to peaceful protest and freedom of expression to be respected in Iran.