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How France Became an Iran Hawk

(Foreign Policy) Joseph Bahout and Benjamin Haddad - While the White House has been pushing hard for consensus on the framework for a deal ahead of a March 31 deadline, Paris has been pushing back. "France wants an agreement, but a robust one that really guarantees that Iran can have access to civilian nuclear power, but not the atomic bomb," French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius declared. The lifting of sanctions, the scope of inspections, research and development capacities, the number of centrifuges Iran will be allowed to maintain, and how long the agreement will last are all areas in which Paris and Washington differ. In Lausanne, France rejected Iran's demand to immediately lift UN Security Council sanctions linked to proliferation after an agreement, arguing that this can only come progressively, with verifications. French negotiators want to ensure that Iran's agreed-upon breakout time will last the entire duration of the deal - and after. They also want a deal that lasts as long as possible. "Ten years is short when you talk about nuclear issues," one diplomat said. Another diplomat noted: "We spent more than 10 years talking, slowly setting an architecture of sanctions, of pressure, defining principles of negotiations. Once we dismantle this, it won't come back up. So we better get the best possible deal." For a decade, European countries have worked on trying to rein in Iran's nuclear program. France has taken an economic hit in this effort, thanks to the sanctions regime. Now the view from Paris is of a Washington that seems to lack empathy and trust for its longtime friends and partners - more interested in making nice with Iran than looking out for its old allies.
2015-04-03 00:00:00
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