Politics of Iran

Relations with the EU could be severed if Brussels imposes sanctions that are risky for sensitive spheres of the economy, Lavrov stated. "Our starting point is that we are ready for that step in case we notice, as we have seen on several occasions before, that sanctions are being prepared that would create a risk for our economy," he pointed out.

U.S. President Joe Biden has made clear he will not unilaterally lift sanctions against Iran, saying it must first adhere to its nuclear deal commitments despite demands on Feb. 7 from the Islamic Republic's supreme leader.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said on Jan. 29 that he hopes the Biden administration would return to the nuclear deal and lift sanctions on Iran.

Speaking at a joint news conference with his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif in Istanbul, Çavuşoğlu said that Turkey has always supported the nuclear deal that was reached by the U.S., EU and Iran.

Germany, France and Great Britain fought fiercely for the nuclear treaty with Iran, which was signed five years ago. Since the end of 2018, since Trump left the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), or the Nuclear Weapon Ban Treaty, its stability has been in question, reports Deutsche Welle.

Iran plans to enrich uranium up to 20% at its underground Fordo nuclear facility, international inspectors said on Jan. 2, pushing its program a technical step away from weapons-grade levels as it increases pressure on the West over its tattered atomic deal.

US sanctions on Turkey over its purchase of Russian S-400 missile defense systems would backfire and hurt ties between the two NATO members, a senior Turkish official said on Thursday.

"Sanctions would not achieve a result but be counter-productive. They would harm relations," the official said after four sources said Washington was poised to impose sanctions.

The European Union will impose sanctions on more Turkish individuals and companies responsible for drilling in contested waters in the Mediterranean, according to a draft statement prepared for EU leaders to agree at a summit on Thursday.

The head of Greek diplomacy attended the EU Foreign Affairs Council to talk about possible sanctions against Turkey

Iran has moved to stop UN inspections of its nuclear sites and step up uranium enrichment under a new law approved by its parliament.

 The bill would require the government to resume enriching uranium to 20% - well above the 3.67% agreed under a 2015 nuclear deal - if crippling sanctions are not eased in two months.

Iran's parliament on Dec. 1 approved a bill that would suspend U.N. inspections of its nuclear facilities and require the government to boost its uranium enrichment if European signatories to the 2015 nuclear deal do not provide relief from oil and banking sanctions.