France Worries New US Sanctions on Iran Could Hurt Middle East

 

The foreign minister of France has warned that the United States risks more problems in the Middle East if it places new restrictions¹ on Iran.

The statement comes after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced new policy goals for U.S. dealings with Iran. On Monday, Pompeo described demands for any new nuclear deal with Iran that includes the United States. And on Tuesday, the secretary of state promised to bring home American hostages now held in Iran.

However, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told France Inter² radio that new sanctions on Iran would not improve dialogue.

Instead, he said, new restrictions would help Iran’s conservatives and weaken President Hassan Rouhani.

Le Drian said, “This posture³ risks endangering the region more.”

Pompeo gave what American media have described as his first major foreign policy address on Monday.

In it, he gave a list of nuclear activities that Iran must give up. Among the demands he noted⁴, Pompeo said Iran must give up work on nuclear weapons “in perpetuity” – in other words, forever.

He said Iran must stop uranium enrichment and not seek the processing of plutonium. In addition, Iran must provide the United Nations nuclear agency “unqualified access to all sites throughout the country.”

Pompeo also said that Iran must stop its support of militant⁵ groups in the Middle East. These include Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Palestinian group Hamas, Houthi militias⁶ in Yemen and the Taliban in Afghanistan.

If Iran meets the new demands, Pompeo said the U.S. was prepared “to support the modernization⁷, reintegration of the Iranian economy into the international economic system.”

But if Iran does not change its actions, he warned, the U.S. “will apply unprecedented⁸ financial pressure” on Iran.

On Tuesday, Pompeo expanded on another demand: that Iran must release all U.S. citizens “as well as citizens of our partners and allies.”

The secretary of state added that “the entire United States government is using all possible means to gain the hostages’ release.”

Iranian President Rouhani dismissed the new U.S. position in a statement published in Iranian state media on Monday. He said, “Countries have their independence.”

U.S. withdrawal⁹ from Iran nuclear deal

Earlier in May, President Donald Trump¹⁰ announced the U.S. decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal of 2015. The agreement was known as the Joint¹¹ Comprehensive Plan of Action. Under the plan, Iran agreed to place limits on its nuclear development in exchange for the removal of many economic restrictions.

However, Pompeo noted on Monday that although sanctions on Iran were greatly reduced, the country had failed to free American detainees.

Pompeo compared the situation to the “frosty relations” between the U.S. and North Korea only a few months ago. However, North Korea recently released three Korean-Americans held in the country.

The families of some of the American hostages are worried about the U.S. withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal. They are concerned it will make it harder for their family members to be returned home.

The French foreign minister’s warning is similar to comments from other European leaders. France is among the nations that negotiated the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Other parties to the deal – Britain, China, Russia and Germany – have expressed a desire to keep the existing agreement in place.

I’m Kelly Jean Kelly.

Words in This Story

dialogue –n. discussion between two or more sides

posture –n. an attitude or position a person or group has toward a subject

region –n. an area in a country or the world

perpetuity –n. a state of continuing without end

reintegration –n. a condition of being brought together with others again

unprecedented –adj. not happening in the past

frosty –adj. cold, frozen

1 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

2 inter   

v.埋葬

参考例句：

• They interred their dear comrade in the arms.他们埋葬了他们亲爱的战友。
• The man who died in that accident has been interred.在那次事故中死的那个人已经被埋葬了。

3 posture   

n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势

参考例句：

• The government adopted an uncompromising posture on the issue of independence.政府在独立这一问题上采取了毫不妥协的态度。
• He tore off his coat and assumed a fighting posture.他脱掉上衣，摆出一副打架的架势。

4 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

5 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

6 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

7 modernization   

n.现代化，现代化的事物

参考例句：

• This will help us achieve modernization.这有助于我们实现现代化。
• The Chinese people are sure to realize the modernization of their country.中国人民必将实现国家现代化。

8 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

9 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

10 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

11 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。