US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, at the conclusion of the G7 ministerial meetings in Paris yesterday, that the economic campaign against Iran is “destructive” and does not currently require “major combat operations,” describing Tehran’s conditions as “ridiculous.” These statements seemed like an American bet on the blockade and sanctions to break Iranian conditions.
The Iranian crisis topped the Paris meetings, while European and Gulf ministers called for preventing any escalation.
After his meeting with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, US President Donald Trump postponed new strikes and maintained the naval blockade, speaking of “positive momentum” to end the war. Doha expressed cautious optimism.
In Tehran, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi responded that the war “will not end either with the military track or with increased sanctions.” He denied arranging a meeting between Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei, and US Vice President J.D. Vance. Rezaei called on Washington to “submit” to the seven conditions.
The Revolutionary Guard broadcast scenes of an underground “missile city,” and from there, Chief of Staff Ali Abdullahi said that Iran would “inevitably” destroy Israel. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf described the site as “Iran’s clear message to its enemies.”
The Israeli Prime Minister-designate, Gadi Eisenkot, accompanied the opening of the work of Parliament (the Knesset), yesterday (Tuesday), by pursuing the legacy of his rival, outgoing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and attacked with his allies the “most important positions” in the Knesset and its committees, then presented a series of projects to pursue him.
At the beginning of the Knesset session, the “Change Bloc” led by Eisenkot gathered 67 votes to replace the current Speaker of Parliament, Amir Ohana, from the “Likud” party headed by Netanyahu, and announced its agreement to elect Knesset member Matan Kahane, from the “Ya’shar” party, headed by Eisenkot.
The bloc also submitted a draft law to form an official investigation committee into the attack launched by Hamas on October 7, 2023, a step that Netanyahu evaded for 3 years, for fear of being politically condemned.
The Eisenkot bloc's projects also included the comprehensive cancellation of the controversial judicial amendments pushed by the Netanyahu government, which caused unprecedented demonstrations.
Eisenkot pledged to establish a national emergency government, to which Netanyahu responded with a major attack against the Arabs, claiming that the two Arab lists in the Knesset (they won 19 seats) wanted to destroy Israel.
Eisenkot believed that Netanyahu is not qualified to remain in his position, and said: “I have become increasingly convinced that he is not qualified to remain in his position even for one more minute.”
On Tuesday, Canada reimposed sanctions on 11 Iranian entities, which it said contributed to Iran's nuclear activities and ballistic missile program.
Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand announced the sanctions during the G7 foreign ministers' meeting in Paris. It said its goal was to restrict Iran's access to financing and sensitive technology related to its nuclear and missile programs.
Anand said, in a statement by the Canadian Foreign Ministry: “Canada’s position is clear: Iran should never be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon,” according to Reuters.
The statement explained that the targeted entities participated in “Iran’s sensitive nuclear activities and ballistic missile program, or in financing the Iranian regime’s malicious activities.”
The list includes the Iranian Nuclear Fuel Production and Supply Company, the Nuclear Reactor Fuel Company, the National Iranian Oil Company, and the National Iranian Oil Tanker Company. It also includes the "Kala Neft" Company, the "Nafteran" Commercial Company, "Bank Mellat", "Bank Melli", the Bank of Industry and Mines, the Export Development Bank, and the Iranian Insurance Company.
Canada lifted sanctions on these entities in 2016, after the nuclear agreement that Iran concluded with the major powers in 2015. Ottawa said that Tehran has repeatedly failed to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency, and has not complied with previous UN Security Council resolutions.
The United States, European countries, and Israel accuse Tehran of using its nuclear program as a cover to develop the ability to produce weapons, and Iran says its program is purely peaceful.
An Iranian official told Reuters last week that Tehran had sent Washington, via Qatar, a proposal related to the nuclear file.
He added that any discussions are first conditional on meeting Iranian demands, including lifting sanctions, releasing frozen assets, and paying war compensation. Washington insists on including nuclear issues in the first talks.
Secretary of the Iranian Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei, said in October that Tehran was considering canceling its old ban on possessing nuclear weapons if the war was renewed, but he made clear that no decision had been taken yet.
