Military aid for Putin – How the industrialized countries want to punish Iran

Iranian drones

Iranian-made drones are apparently being used in the Ukraine war.

(Photo: IMAGO/ZUMA Wire)

Muenster In view of the brutal suppression of dissident protests and arms deliveries to Russia, the West wants to increase its pressure on Iran. The deliberations of the G7 foreign ministers in Münster on Friday focused primarily on tougher sanctions against the country.

The seven leading industrial nations (Germany, the USA, Great Britain, France, Italy, Japan, Canada and the EU) have already agreed on new punitive measures in the event that the Iranian leadership continues to counter the opposition in the country with massive violence. This was learned from delegation circles on the fringes of the meeting.

In the morning, the G7 ministers, headed by Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens), discussed Iran. The Greens politician condemned the “brutal violence used by the Iranian regime against its own citizens”. According to human rights organizations, more than 100 protesters have already been murdered.

On Thursday, the federal government called on all Germans to leave Iran. Above all, the holders of German and Iranian passports should leave the country. The German Foreign Office argued that there was a risk of the Iranian leadership becoming hostage.

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So-called dual nationals are repeatedly arrested in Iran. Tehran does not recognize second citizenship and classifies people with two passports as Iranian citizens. French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna has asked the Iranian authorities to immediately release illegally detained European citizens.

Mullah regime denies any arms assistance

The G7 foreign ministers also condemned Iran for its military support to Russia. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called on Tehran to stop arms deliveries to Russia immediately. The mullahs’ regime denies any arms aid, but Borrell doesn’t accept that. “The Ukrainians have provided evidence of the use of Iranian drones,” Borrell said.

protests in Tehran

Women in particular are standing up against the authoritarian mullahs’ regime. That reacts with brutal hardness.

(Photo: dpa)

Kyiv and Washington also have knowledge that Tehran not only supplies drones, but also wants to supply missiles to Moscow. International observers assume that the Russian army is now running out of rockets and cruise missiles. In order to continue the massive attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, Moscow is dependent on Iran restocking President Vladimir Putin’s arsenal.

Parallel to the intensification of the sanctions apparatus, however, Borrell is trying to reinstate the nuclear agreement (JCPoA) with Iran. A nuclear power that brutally oppresses its own people is a nightmare, according to G7 circles.

On this point, the G7 countries are looking forward to the midterm elections in the USA next Tuesday: Should US President Joe Biden lose his own majority, he would be too weak in future to relax American sanctions in exchange for Tehran’s renunciation of nuclear weapons . His Republican predecessor, Donald Trump, unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear deal and imposed what he believed to be the “toughest sanctions of all time.”

Antony Blinken (right), Josep Borrell

On the fringes of the G7 meeting in Münster, the EU foreign policy chief Borrell and the US Secretary of State are conferring.

(Photo: IMAGO/Political Moments)

In addition to dealing with Iran, the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting was also about drying up Russia’s capital flows for the Ukraine campaign. Above all, they pushed ahead with their plans for a price cap for Russian oil. Together with Australia, the industrialized countries agreed to set a fixed upper price limit for oil deliveries by sea.

In doing so, they decided against the option of a variable price in the form of a discount on an index. This will increase stability on the market and make it easier to comply with the price cap, which will be regularly reviewed and adjusted if necessary.

A specific starting price has not yet been determined. The price cap is to apply from December 5 for crude oil from Russia and from February 5 for oil products. It is intended to limit Russia’s ability to finance the war without affecting global oil supplies. Russia has already threatened to stop supplying oil to countries that set price caps.

More: Baerbock criticizes Iran for “brutal violence”.

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