The support the European Union has continued to give Iran, in the face of the regime’s regional meddling, ballistic missiles programme and involvement in Syria and Yemen, has long caused consternation in Washington and Arab capitals.
Ever since US President Donald Trump withdrew from the flawed 2015 nuclear deal in May and re-imposed sanctions on Tehran, European powers have scrambled to save the deal, even proposing a financial system to bypass US sanctions. Given that it impeded a united front against Iranian aggression, that approach was foolhardy.
And now, as more and more allegations about Iranian activities on European soil emerge, the bloc is finally taking notice. On Wednesday, the EU imposed sanctions on two Iranian individuals and an agency, sending a powerful message that Iran's careless disregard for the sovereignty of other nations will not be tolerated.
Put simply, sanctions do not work in isolation – but they are the only way to bring Iran’s nefarious regime to bear. For too long, the EU has shielded Tehran as regional powers and the US pointed out its aggression. No more.
On Tuesday, EU ministers agreed the sanctions – their first since the nuclear deal was signed – citing Iran’s alleged role in assassination plots in Europe. Stef Blok, Dutch foreign minister, made the case in a letter, following accusations that two Dutch nationals of Iranian descent had been killed in the Netherlands in 2015 and 2017. “Targeted sanctions and a clear message underline that this behaviour is unacceptable and needs to stop immediately,” Mr Blok subsequently tweeted.
Officials of several nations – including Britain, Denmark and Germany – have reportedly warned Iran of the same and further sanctions could be coming, while France has already implemented similar measures, after its authorities foiled a bomb plot targeting an exiled opposition group rally in Paris in June. Meanwhile, hundreds of European citizens languish in Iranian prisons, among them Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, the British charity worker who recently reached her 1,000th day in Iranian custody.
The Iranian economy is already buckling under the weight of US sanctions on banking and oil. The EU's actions will crank up the pressure. More importantly, they show Tehran that it can no longer rely on a compliant Europe.
The nuclear deal – which did not address Iran's ballistic missile programme and contained a sunset clause after which Tehran could resume its proliferation – is now under immense pressure. So too is the Iranian regime. For the sake of Iran's people, it is vital that it wakes up to a clear reality: that meddling on the soil of sovereign nations will not be tolerated.
More on Yemen's civil war
Company%20Profile
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Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
Marathon results
Men:
1. Titus Ekiru(KEN) 2:06:13
2. Alphonce Simbu(TAN) 2:07:50
3. Reuben Kipyego(KEN) 2:08:25
4. Abel Kirui(KEN) 2:08:46
5. Felix Kemutai(KEN) 2:10:48
Women:
1. Judith Korir(KEN) 2:22:30
2. Eunice Chumba(BHR) 2:26:01
3. Immaculate Chemutai(UGA) 2:28:30
4. Abebech Bekele(ETH) 2:29:43
5. Aleksandra Morozova(RUS) 2:33:01
SPEC SHEET
Display: 10.4-inch IPS LCD, 400 nits, toughened glass
CPU: Unisoc T610; Mali G52 GPU
Memory: 4GB
Storage: 64GB, up to 512GB microSD
Camera: 8MP rear, 5MP front
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C, 3.5mm audio
Battery: 8200mAh, up to 10 hours video
Platform: Android 11
Audio: Stereo speakers, 2 mics
Durability: IP52
Biometrics: Face unlock
Price: Dh849
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
How green is the expo nursery?
Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery
An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo
Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery
Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape
The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides
All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality
Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country
Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow
Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site
Green waste is recycled as compost
Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs
Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers
About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer
Main themes of expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.
Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
ENGLAND TEAM
Alastair Cook, Mark Stoneman, James Vince, Joe Root (captain), Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Craig Overton, Stuart Broad, James Anderson
