German-Iran Chamber of Commerce criticizes recent sanctions after striking Israel
Date
4/21/2024 4:12:40 AM
(MENAFN) The Germany-Iran Chamber of Commerce expressed its opposition to fresh sanctions levied against the Islamic Republic in retaliation for its justified strike on Israel.
"As always, calls for new sanctions come fast, but they serve to mask Europe's lack of influence rather than be part of a solution," as per a communication received by recipients and associates of the German-Iranian Chamber of Commerce, as reviewed by a UK-based news agency on Wednesday.
The chamber expressed that Berlin's failure to uphold or foster the "special relationship" between Germany and Iran has resulted in a decline in influence, noting that the primary actors remain in Washington and increasingly in Beijing.
European Union foreign policy head Josep Borrell stated on Tuesday that certain member states had requested an expansion of sanctions against Iran, prompting the bloc's diplomatic service to initiate work on the proposal.
Trade between Germany and Iran saw a notable decline last year, with German exports plunging by over 24 percent to 1.2 billion euros (USD1.28 billion), while imports from Iran decreased by 18 percent to 247 million euros.
In a coordinated effort, the United States and United Kingdom imposed extensive new sanctions on Iran following Tehran's recent retaliatory action against Israel.
UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron announced these sanctions during a meeting of the Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers in Italy on Thursday, just four days after Iran launched numerous missiles and drones at occupied territories in response to Israel's attack on Iran's diplomatic premises in Syria.
Over the weekend, Iran invoked its inherent right of self-defense as outlined in Article 51 of the UN Charter and executed a significant retaliatory operation. This operation entailed launching more than 300 missiles and drones targeting military installations in the occupied territories.
Iran struck a substantial intelligence facility in the occupied lands, as well as Israel's Nevatim Airbase, which reportedly dispatched an F-35 jet to strike Iran's consulate in Damascus.
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