Spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), Behrouz Kamalvandi, told Mehr News correspondent on Sunday that France would not succeed in creating a ‘coalition’ among European countries to take a stance against Iran’s defense power.
“France has tried to side with the US in recent years, but these countries inherently have problems with one another,” Kamalvandi said. “France feels that siding with the US can better fulfill its own interests, but this view is not shared by all European countries.”
He went on to add, “the French will have a hard time if they choose to consider the US interests while being pitted against Iran.”
He explained that France feels the need to involve itself in “political bargains” due to the country’s dwindling influence in Lebanon and Syria.
Asked whether controversies surrounding Iran’s missile program would bring back sanctions against the country, Kamalvandi said “I do not think that there is any issue left that can bring back the kind of sanctions we had in the past.”
“The Americans are trying to revive one of the previous six UN Security Council resolutions against Iran, since they think it would return Iran to the [pre-JCPOA] era, but in my opinion, they are 100 percent in the wrong,” he said.
He went on to add, “Washington thinks that among the five, six issues they constantly use against Iran, such as human rights and terrorism, the missile program has the most potential [to bring back UN sanctions], but the atmosphere in the Security Council is no longer how it used to be, and the missile program will not bring the US any wins like the nuclear case.”
“On the other hand, the Islamic Republic will never agree to negotiations on its missile program,” he concluded.