The first official European assessment on the outcome of the recent round of Vienna talks came from Dubai, whence French President Emmanuel Macron announced the failure of the talks early on.
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Speaking to reporters in Dubai, Macron claimed Friday that the current round of talks had not been successful, and hinted that there would be a delay before the next round took place.
“I think it's probable that this round of negotiations, given the positions, does not succeed,” he said according to Reuters. “It is most likely that these negotiations do not continue in the short term.”
No other European leaders have commented on the talks before Macron, and to this day, no other western leaders have commented on the state of things between Iran and the west as much as Macron has.
After a plenary session between Iran and the P4+1 group of countries, the French joined their European and American colleagues in putting the blame on Iran for allegedly not showing enough seriousness.
On the contrary, Iran refused the western narrative of the talks, underlining the need for a swift conclusion of the talks.
Iran’s response to the European and American criticism showed that the western problem with the talks boils down to a number of things: first, Iran entered the talks with a view to negotiate on equal footing and achieve a fair deal.
Second, Iran has caught the west by surprise by presenting carefully drafted proposals. Third, Iranian negotiators have made it clear that they understand Europe’s use of double standards in terms of non-nuclear issues.
During his visit to the UAE, Macron and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed oversaw the singing of a record 14-billion-euro contract for 80 Rafale warplanes.
The Rafale order, signed on Friday, is the biggest made internationally for the Dassault Aviation aircraft since 2004, according to the Arab Weekly, a publication close to the UAE.
The biggest international order ever made for the French jets came as Macron held talks with bin Zayed at the start of a two-day trip which will also take in Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
The resource-rich UAE, one of the French defense industry’s biggest customers, also inked an order for 12 Caracal military transport helicopters for a total bill of more than 17 billion euros, the publication added.
These arms deals have been widely seen as a sign that France is employing double standards on security issues in the region.
On the one hand, it calls on Iran to curtail its conventional weapons such as ballistic missiles. On the other hand, it provides the UAE and other Arab sheikhdoms with state-of-the-art weaponry.
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French President Emmanuel Macron visited the West Asia region amid diplomatic standoff between Iran and the European troika (France, UK, and Germany). What is the true purpose of such visits?
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The answer can be found here: France and Britain, as two members of the European troika, do not like a calm region.
A tense region benefits them greatly.
In his visit to Dubai on Friday, December 3, Macron was accompanied by a large delegation. H was accompanied by Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire and Defense Minister Florence Parly among others.
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An informed source confided to Tehran Times in exclusivity that Ahmad Massoud has met with Erik Prince, founder and head of the Blackwater private militia group in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
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Political pundits consider this the primary reason of the failure of the National Resistance Front in Afghanistan.
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Over the course of the current round of Vienna talks, the word “serious” has turned into one of the most important points of contention between Iran and its Western negotiating partners.
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The question of who’s serious about the talks has shaped the whole state of things over the past tense days. While Iran has carefully sought to convey a message of seriousness, the other sides struck a pessimistic note and accused Iran of not seriously engaging in the talks.
Apropos the swiftness, Iran has not only called for a swift and good agreement but also complained about Western foot-dragging on the negotiations.