There can be no deal with this regime

The brute force of the Iranian regime is hard to bear, says Annalena Baerbock. It is also difficult to bear "that our foreign policy options are limited," the Foreign Minister continued. Germany would certainly have more means of pressure, but they apparently do not want to use them.

Baerbock calls for new sanctions against Iran. According to the Foreign Office, 16 “concrete proposals” have been submitted to the EU partners. They do not want to name them specifically, only this much is revealed: The penalties should be directed against "individuals and organizations" who are responsible for the violent suppression of the protests.

A step in the right direction. But Germany could go further. On the same day that the foreign minister expressed her horror at the violence against demonstrators, the spokesman for Iran's foreign ministry gave his weekly press conference. In it, Nasser Kanani also commented on the negotiations for a new nuclear agreement.

Germany is one of the key brokers in the deal between Iran and the US to lift sanctions in exchange for restrictions on Iran's nuclear program. The EU presented a draft in mid-August, and talks have stalled ever since. "There is still a chance to resume implementation of the nuclear deal," Iran's foreign ministry spokesman said. Efforts are underway with the EU to reach an agreement.

That doesn't add up. Germany cannot, on the one hand, propose 16 new sanctions and, on the other hand, stick to an agreement that would lift hundreds of existing sanctions and strengthen the regime. There have never been such widespread protests against the oppressor state as they are now. Secretary of State Baerbock should do everything in her power to support the demonstrators and end the negotiations. There can be no deal with this regime.