Exclusive; The U.S. Aligns with European Partners: Iran's Missile Sanctions Will Not Be Lifted

On Thursday, September 14, the U.S. State Department spokesperson stated in a press conference: "In close cooperation with our European allies, we will not lift the Islamic Republic's missile sanctions in October." Matthew Miller, in response to a question from a VOA Persian reporter, added: "The United States, in collaboration with its partners in Europe, Germany, France, and the UK, is prepared to counter the ongoing threats from the Islamic Republic, including regarding missiles and the transfer of long-range weapons, and we will control Iran and strengthen sanctions with the unilateral and multilateral tools at our disposal." He also responded to a question about the increasing pressure from the Islamic Republic on the families of victims seeking justice, particularly the father of Mahsa Amini, stating: "According to reports, the Iranian regime has summoned Mahsa's father for questioning four times in the past two weeks. The regime continues its relentless intimidation of the Amini family and other families of deceased protesters. However, the regime cannot force the people of Iran into silence or intimidate them. The world is watching the conditions of these families and the ongoing intimidation of journalists and the suppression of peaceful protesters, and we will continue to carefully take any actions deemed appropriate in response to this." The spokesperson also clarified regarding the release of Iranian funds in South Korea and their exchange with dual nationals: "Under the terms of the agreement that leads to the release of five American citizens, Iran will only have access to these financial resources for humanitarian purposes, which is in the interest of the people of Iran, not the regime." He also mentioned other dual nationals imprisoned in Iran: "We are also working for them and pressuring the Iranian regime to release them, but we believe these prisoners are not being abused or intimidated by the Islamic Republic." Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign policy chief, stated on Thursday that the UK, France, and Germany have informed him in a letter that they will not lift the JCPOA sanctions on October 18. According to Borrell, the foreign ministers of these three European countries pointed out Iran's non-compliance with the JCPOA since 2019 and the unresolved issues through the JCPOA dispute resolution mechanism, stating that steps related to lifting further sanctions on the "JCPOA transition day" on October 18 of this year will not be taken. The EU foreign policy chief added that at the request of these three European countries, he will send their letter to the other parties of the JCPOA, namely China, Iran, and Russia, and "as the coordinator, I will consult with all participants in the JCPOA about the way forward." The Iranian Foreign Ministry, in a statement published by IRNA, wrote: "There is no doubt that the Islamic Republic of Iran will respond appropriately and within its rights under the JCPOA to this illegal, provocative action and clear violation of the obligations of the EU, France, Germany, and the UK under the JCPOA and UN Security Council Resolution 2231. We warn the European parties against taking provocative actions that will undoubtedly complicate the management of relations between us and negatively impact the cooperation process, including in the negotiations to lift sanctions."