France’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot speaks during a stakeout outside the Security Council at UN Headquarters in New York City, US, April 28, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

France will not think twice about reimposing United Nations sanctions on Iran if negotiations to reach a deal over its nuclear program do not succeed, its foreign minister told the UN Security Council late on Monday.

France, Britain, and Germany – the “E3” – are parties to a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran that expires in October and have the power to initiate its mechanism for reimposing sanctions, called snapback, at the Security Council.

“It goes without saying that when the Iranian nuclear deal expires in a few weeks, if European security interests are not guaranteed, we will not hesitate for a single second to reapply all the sanctions that were lifted 10 years ago,” Jean-Noel Barrot said.

Iran and the United States, which quit the 2015 deal and reimposed its own sanctions, have been holding talks on the decades-old standoff.

US President Donald Trump has said he is confident of clinching a new pact that would block Iran‘s path to a nuclear bomb, although Iran says its program is purely civilian.

According to diplomats, the E3 countries are now looking to trigger snapback by August, rather than June, if no substantial deal can be found by then. The opportunity expires on Oct. 18.

“These sanctions would then permanently close off Iranian access to technology, investment, and the European market, with devastating effects on the country’s economy. This is not what we want, and that is why I solemnly call on Iran to take the necessary decisions today to avoid the worst,” Barrot said.

Iran has proposed meeting the E3, possibly in Rome this Friday, if talks resume with the United States, four diplomats said on Monday, cautioning that the E3 have yet to respond.

The post France Won’t Hesitate to Restore UN Sanctions on Iran if No Nuclear Deal, Says Foreign Minister first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

A bronze seal for the Department of the Treasury is shown at the US Treasury building in Washington, US, Jan. 20, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on a network based in Iran and China that it accused of procuring ballistic missile propellant ingredients on behalf of Iran‘s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as President Donald Trump’s administration seeks to increase pressure on Tehran.

The US Treasury Department in a statement said it was targeting six entities and six individuals as part of the action, which comes as the Trump administration has relaunched negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program.

“Iran‘s aggressive development of missiles and other weapons capabilities imperils the safety of the United States and our partners,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said.

“It also destabilizes the Middle East, and violates the global agreements intended to prevent the proliferation of these technologies. To achieve peace through strength, Treasury will continue to take all available measures to deprive Iran‘s access to resources necessary to advance its missile program.”

Tuesday’s move targeted five China–based companies, one Iran–based firm, and six Iran–based people. The Treasury accused the network of facilitating the procurement of sodium perchlorate and dioctyl sebacate from China to Iran.

It said sodium perchlorate is used to produce ammonium perchlorate, which alongside dioctyl sebacate is usable in solid propellant rocket motors, which Treasury said is commonly used for ballistic missiles.

Tuesday’s move is the latest action targeting Tehran since Trump restored his “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran, which includes efforts to drive its oil exports down to zero to help prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon.

In his first 2017-2021 term, Trump withdrew the US from a 2015 deal between Iran and world powers that placed temporary limits on Tehran’s uranium enrichment activities in exchange for sanctions relief. Trump also reimposed sweeping U. sanctions.

Since then, Iran has far surpassed that deal’s limits on uranium enrichment.

Western powers accuse Iran of having a clandestine agenda to develop nuclear weapons capability by enriching uranium to a high level of fissile purity, above what they say is justifiable for a civilian atomic energy program. Tehran says its nuclear program is wholly for civilian power purposes.

The post US Targets China, Iran-Based Firms in Fresh Iran Sanctions first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

A member of the Syrian security forces stands next to a vehicle at the entrance of Druze town of Jaramana, following deadly clashes sparked by a purported recording of a Druze man cursing the Prophet Mohammad which angered Sunni gunmen, as rescuers and security sources say, in southeast of Damascus, Syria, April 29, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Yamam Al Shaar

More than a dozen people were killed in a predominantly Druze town near the Syrian capital on Tuesday in clashes sparked by a purported recording of a Druze man cursing the Prophet Mohammad which angered Sunni gunmen, rescuers and security sources said.

The fighting marked the latest episode of deadly sectarian violence in Syria, where fears among minorities have been swelling since Islamist-led rebels ousted former leader Bashar al-Assad from power in December, installing their own government and security forces.

Those fears spiked after the killings of hundreds of Alawites in March in apparent revenge for an attack by Assad loyalists.

The clashes began overnight when gunmen from the nearby town of Maliha and other predominantly Sunni areas converged on the mostly Druze town of Jaramana, southeast of Damascus, security sources said.

The fighting, with small and medium arms fire, left 13 people dead, according to local rescue workers.

Among the dead were two members of Syria’s General Security Service, a new security force comprised mostly of former rebels, according to interior ministry spokesperson Mustafa al-Abdo.

Abdo denied that armed gunmen had attacked the town, saying instead that groups of civilians angered by the voice recording had staged a protest that came under fire from Druze groups.

The Interior Ministry said in a statement it was investigating the origin of the voice recording and called for calm, urging citizens not to let emotions lead to violence or damage to public property.

Druze elders met with security forces in a bid to prevent further escalation, a Syrian security source said.

“What was said by a few individuals against our Prophet represents only them and is rejected by us and all of society,” Druze religious leader Sheikh Yousef Jarbou said, calling on both communities to reject efforts to fuel sectarian divisions.

Syria’s nearly 14-year war carved the country into various zones of influence, with the Druze – an Arab minority who practice a religion originally derived from Islam – arming themselves to defend their own towns.

The new Islamist-led leadership in Damascus has called for all arms to fall under their authority, but Druze fighters have resisted, saying Damascus has failed to guarantee their protection from hostile militants.

Community leaders blamed the government for failing to prevent Tuesday’s attack and warned that it would bear responsibility for any future repercussions.

“The authorities are responsible for preserving security,” Rabei Munzir, a local Druze activist in Jaramana, told Reuters.

Neighboring Israel has said that it was willing to intervene in Syria to protect the Druze, thousands of whom also live in Israel.

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