France: Iran Faces Risk of Sanctions If Concerns Over Its Missile Program Are Not Addressed

The French Foreign Minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, addressed Iranian officials just hours before his trip to Iran, stating that Tehran must respond to concerns regarding its missile program or face the risk of new sanctions. In an interview with the weekly 'Journal du Dimanche', he remarked that Iran has 'ballistic missile programs on its agenda with ranges of several thousand kilometers, which is contrary to UN Security Council resolutions and exceeds Iran's needs for defending its borders.' He warned that 'if this issue is not resolved, Iran will face the danger of new sanctions.' The French Foreign Minister is set to travel to Iran tonight and during his two-day stay in Tehran, he will meet with President Hassan Rouhani, Ali Shamkhani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, and Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, to discuss bilateral, regional, and international issues. Paris has previously expressed concerns over the development of Iran's missile program, with President Emmanuel Macron calling for international oversight of Tehran's missile activities. The country, alongside the US and Germany, has also voiced concerns about Iran's military activities in Syria. Iranian officials have consistently described Iran's missile program as 'defensive and deterrent' and have declared discussions on the matter a red line for the country. Mohammad Javad Zarif stated on February 19 that Tehran would not place its missile program under international oversight, asserting that 'the US President's ambitions in this regard will not materialize.' Masoud Jazayeri, spokesman for Iran's armed forces, also stated on March 1 that any negotiation regarding the Islamic Republic's missile program is conditional upon 'the destruction of nuclear and long-range missiles by the US and Europe.' Sensitivity towards Iran's missile program heightened after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps conducted multiple missile tests since the nuclear agreement in July 2015, and the Trump administration in the United States labeled this program as 'dangerous' for peace and stability in the Middle East and the world, calling for action against Iran. The US President warned on January 12 during the renewal of the suspension of sanctions under the nuclear agreement that if the catastrophic flaws of this agreement are not addressed, it would be the last time he votes to extend the suspension of sanctions. Among the four conditions that Trump emphasizes for correcting the flaws of the JCPOA is the prohibition of the expansion of Iran's ballistic missiles; France, the UK, and Germany, which participated in the nuclear negotiations with Iran, have also spoken about the necessity of discussions regarding Iran's missile program while emphasizing their commitment to the JCPOA. The French Foreign Minister reiterated on February 27 that his country is committed to implementing the nuclear agreement with Iran but is concerned about Iran's missile activities. Ali Akbar Velayati, advisor to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic on international affairs, responded to these remarks by saying, 'No country can dictate terms to us. France should not make unfounded claims that it cannot handle.' The French Foreign Minister's visit to Tehran has faced opposition from media close to conservatives, with the newspaper 'Kayhan' describing it as a trip with a 'JCPOA 2 hat.' This newspaper stated, 'France itself is one of the reasons for the existing problems in the region, and before it poses as a negotiator in regional affairs, it should be accountable for its support and arming of terrorist groups.' Despite the differences between Paris and Tehran over Iran's missile program, trade relations between the two countries continue to follow a normal trend. The IRNA news agency reported, citing the French Treasury, that the volume of trade between Iran and France reached 3.8 billion euros in 2017.