EU Lacks Power to Counter US Pressures: Iran
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi criticized the European parties to the 2015 nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), saying they have shown to lack enough ability to counter US pressures.
Speaking to reporters at his weekly press conference in Tehran on Monday, Qassemi pointed to the special purpose vehicle (SPV), the European mechanism aimed at facilitating trade with Iran in the US sanctions era, saying that Iran and the European countries have been in talks on the issue for quite a while.
“The complexity of the creation of such a mechanism, and also the US’ heavy and bullying pressures on European countries, have made negotiations on this issue lengthy,” he said.
“In addition to the political will of Europe and the European Union, European countries have shown, in practice, that they do not have enough power in the face of US pressure,” the spokesman added.
The European Union has vowed to counter US President Donald Trump’s renewed sanctions on Iran, including by means of a new law to shield European companies from punitive measures.
On May 8, the US president pulled his country out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the nuclear deal that was achieved in Vienna in 2015 after years of negotiations among Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany).
Following the US exit, Iran and the remaining parties launched talks to save the accord.
Trump on August 6 signed an executive order re-imposing many sanctions on Iran, three months after pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal.
He said the US policy is to levy “maximum economic pressure” on the country.
The second batch of US sanctions against the Islamic Republic took effect on November 4.
