UK, France, and Germany uphold sanctions against Iran due to drones supply to Russia

To stop Iran from supplying combat drones and other weapons to Russia for its war in Ukraine, the UK, France, and Germany have decided to maintain their economic sanctions against Tehran.

Iran signed a nuclear agreement in 2015, and as part of the conditions, some economic sanctions were to be eased the next month.

According to the BBS report, the European nations say that Iran violated the agreement by enriching and stockpiling uranium.

According to the Iranian government, this action was “illegal and provocative” and “openly violated” the conditions of the nuclear agreement.

Uranium can be used to create a nuclear bomb when highly enriched.

The European nations declared that their national legislation would now include the sanctions after the UN sanctions expire.

Some measures are meant to prevent Iran from creating and selling drones and ballistic missiles. However, despite the sanctions, Russia has employed a lot of Shahed combat drones produced in Iran in its war against Ukraine.

Read also: Iran admits to providing Russia with war drones and praises “effectiveness”

In December 2022, the EU foreign ministers approved new sanctions against Iran related to the weapons delivery to Russia for Moscow’s war in Ukraine. The EU nations agreed on a package of sanctions against Iran due to the supply of weapons to Russia, particularly combat drones.

In 2015, Iran and a group of international powers known as the P5+1—the US, UK, France, China, Russia, and Germany—agreed to a deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

According to the 2015 nuclear agreement, Iran consented to restrict its delicate nuclear activities and welcome outside inspectors in exchange for easing punishing economic sanctions. The agreement forbids transferring, selling, or purchasing drones or missiles to or from Iran.

The accord called for the remaining nuclear and ballistic missile sanctions against Iran to be withdrawn on a “transition day” eight years later, in October 2023.

Iranian asset freezes were also a part of the agreement for a group of people and organizations that supported the nuclear program.

If nations like Russia and China do not enact sanctions like those of the UK, France, and Germany before 18 October, the restrictions will no longer apply to them.

The final three nations, generally called the E3, declared that sanctions would continue until Iran was “fully compliant” with the nuclear agreement.

Under the JCPOA and UN Security Council Resolution 2231, Iran is banned from engaging in actions related to ballistic missiles constructed to be able to deliver nuclear weapons.

The E3 claimed that because Iran had “refused opportunities to return to the JCPOA twice” and had “continued to expand its program beyond JCPOA restrictions and without any plausible civilian justification,” the decision was under the JCPOA.

In 2018, US President Donald Trump unilaterally pulled the US out of the JCPOA.

Read also: Russia bought Iranian drones after invasion of Ukraine