In view of the brutal repression of anti-government protests in Iran, SPD leader Saskia Esken is calling for talks on a nuclear deal with the Islamic Republic to end. Now the moment has come to say: up to here and no further, she said in the ZDF program "Berlin direct" on Sunday. Just as action is being taken against the demonstrating women and men on the streets, "the talks must end".
The US, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany are negotiating with Iran to restore the 2015 nuclear deal designed to prevent the country from building a nuclear bomb. It has been on hold since the United States left in 2018. The US government recently said it saw no chance of reviving the agreement "in the near future".
SPD foreign policy expert Nils Schmidt also told ZDF that breaking off the talks had nothing to do with responsible foreign policy. For example, an Iran with nuclear weapons would directly endanger Israel's security and threaten regional stability. In addition, an arms race would have to be feared.
The FDP is also positioning itself
FDP General Secretary Bijan Djir-Sarai said in the ZDF program "Berlin direkt" that nuclear negotiations with Iran currently make no sense. Djir-Sarai therefore spoke out in favor of a "suspension". One cannot currently negotiate with a regime that has no legitimacy among the population.
The foreign ministers of the EU states will discuss developments in Iran this Monday (9.30 a.m.) in Luxembourg. New EU sanctions are planned as a reaction. According to diplomats, they should meet people and organizations who are held responsible for the recent suppression of protests.
Iranian security forces had recently taken brutal action against people who were demonstrating across the country against the government's repressive course, the headscarf requirement and the system of government.
The protests were triggered by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. The young woman died on September 16 under unclear circumstances after being arrested by the vice squad because of her alleged "un-Islamic outfit". Critics accuse the morality police of using violence. The police firmly deny the allegations.
Information from the EU on the meeting Overview of the planned decisions "Berlin direct", tweet
