Iran: Europe giving way to US bullying amid nuclear row

Dubai/Paris, January 16

Iran today said three European states had succumbed to “high school bully” Donald Trump when they triggered a dispute mechanism in a nuclear pact the US President opposes, a step that could eventually lead to reimposing UN sanctions.

The pact, known as the JCPoA, was agreed in 2015 between Tehran and world powers, offering Iran sanctions relief if it curbed its nuclear work. Trump withdrew from the deal in 2018 and reimposed US sanctions, saying he wanted a tougher deal. Iran has responded by scaling back its compliance with terms of the pact, saying this month it rejected all limits on uranium enrichment, although it says it wants to keep the deal in place.

Britain, France and Germany triggered the accord’s dispute mechanism this week. London said it was now time for a “Trump deal” to replace it, while Paris said broad talks were needed. The Washington Post reported on Wednesday that Washington had threatened to impose a 25% tariff on European automobile imports if the three European capitals did not formally accuse Iran of breaking the nuclear agreement.

“Appeasement confirmed. E3 sold out remnants of #JCPOA to avoid new Trump tariffs. It won’t work my friends. You only whet his appetite. Remember your high school bully?” Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote on Twitter.

Two European diplomats confirmed Washington had threatened tariffs but said leaders of the three European states had already decided to trigger the mechanism before that. The European Union said its top diplomat, Josep Borrell, held “frank” talks with Zarif on the sidelines of a conference in New Delhi. The Europeans have long opposed Trump’s decision to withdraw from the nuclear deal. In announcing the launch of the dispute mechanism, the European powers said they were not backing a United States policy of “maximum pressure” on Iran, and they hoped to save the accord. — Reuters

Nuclear enrichment limitless, says Tehran

Tehran: Iran’s President has said that there is “no limit” to the country’s enrichment of uranium following its decision to abandon its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal in response to the killing of its top general in a US airstrike. Hassan Rouhani also said that the US sanctions had made Iran even “stronger”. In a speech before the heads of banks, Rouhani said the nuclear programme was in a “better situation” than it was before the nuclear agreement with world powers. AP/IANS