German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and French President Emmanuel Macron, the leaders of the E3 countries, reiterated their support for the Iranian nuclear agreement on Sunday 12 January and announced that they would "define a long-term framework for Iran's nuclear programme".
In a joint statement, the leaders said one of the common security interests is "upholding the nuclear non-proliferation regime, and ensuring that Iran never develops a nuclear weapon. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) plays a key role in this respect", they reiterate.
Thus, underlining their commitment to the JCPOA and its preservation, the Chancellor, the Prime Minister and the President urge Iran to "reverse all measures inconsistent with the agreement". For their part, they reserve "recourse to all the provisions of the JCPoA to preserve it and to resolve the issues related to Iran’s implementation of its JCPoA commitments within its framework". Without mentioning it, the officers refer to Article 36, which deals with a dispute resolution mechanism.
In their communiqué, the leaders also referred to Iran's "destabilising role" in the region, "including through the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Al-Quds force". "Our commitment to the security of our allies and partners in the region is unwavering", they said, recalling that the Iranians have attacked Iraqi military bases, and adding that common concerns about Iran's destabilizing regional activities, including those related to its missile programs, must be addressed "through diplomacy and in a meaningful way". The Europeans also call on Tehran "to refrain from further violence or proliferation". "We reiterate our readiness to continue our engagement for de-escalation and stability in the region" they stressed, saying they are ready to engage in dialogue with Iran in order to preserve stability in the region.
Call for a full and transparent investigation into the crash of the Ukrainian flight
The three leaders also "note" Iran's announcement regarding the destruction of UIA Flight PS752, committing to work with the country on the next steps. Iranian authorities admitted on Saturday that they mistakenly shot down a Ukrainian Airlines plane, killing 176 people. Earlier in the day, the spokesperson for the European External Action Service had "deplored the tragedy". "In view of the commitments made by President [the Iranian President, Hassan] Rouhani, the EU hopes that Iran will continue to cooperate fully and undertake a full and transparent investigation, which should meet international standards, into the manner in which this tragedy occurred," he stressed, adding that appropriate measures should be taken "to ensure that such a horrible accident can never happen again".
The announcement of responsibility for the crash was followed by expressions of anger. Tensions rose on Saturday after the British ambassador to Iran, Rob Macaire, was briefly arrested for taking part in anti-government protests, according to Iranian authorities, which the ambassador denied. The British Prime Minister and the German Chancellor have denounced this arrest, which violates international law.
Furthermore, in meetings with the Presidents of Egypt and Turkey over the weekend, the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, stressed the need to avoid a new cycle of violence in the Middle East through appeasement and dialogue and called for maximum restraint, according to a European Council communiqué. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)