Everyone against Tehran? Not at all: three countries broke ranks in Europe

Georgia, Serbia and Turkey, three candidate countries for membership in the European Union, did not adopt the latest round of sanctions against Iran. In Iran, they celebrate the crack in the European front, but in Brussels, they see it as a sign of deeper political gaps.

Georgia, Serbia and Turkey did not adopt the latest round of European Union sanctions against Iran, according to EU announcements and statements published in recent days. The Iranian news agency IRNA reported that Georgia refused to join, citing parliament member Tengiz Sharmanshvili from the ruling party "Georgian Dream," who said that Tbilisi's foreign policy decisions are made based on whether they serve Georgia's interests. He also mentioned Serbia and Turkey. The EU Council statement from August 14 included a list of countries that adopted the decisions, and Georgia, Serbia and Turkey were not on it. The decisions, approved on July 24, maintain restrictive measures against Iranian individuals and entities, as well as sanctions related to Tehran's military support for Russia and the Middle East. Serbia joined other decisions regarding sanctions on Iran in March, but did not adopt the three new decisions from July. Turkey conducts an independent foreign policy towards Iran. The Iranian report attempts to present Georgia's position as proof of European disunity, but in practice, these are three countries that are not EU members and are not legally obligated to adopt its sanctions policy. However, in Brussels, the abstention is seen as a sign of broader political gaps in the accession process.