Nuclear row: Iran accuses Europe of yielding to 'high school bully' Trump

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. Britain, France and Germany have launched action under the Iran nuclear agreement paving the way for possible sanctions in response to Tehran's attempts to roll back parts of the deal. Picture: Jean-Francois Badias/AP

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. Britain, France and Germany have launched action under the Iran nuclear agreement paving the way for possible sanctions in response to Tehran's attempts to roll back parts of the deal. Picture: Jean-Francois Badias/AP

Published Jan 16, 2020

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Dubai/Paris - Iran said on Thursday 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 U.N. sanctions.

The pact, known as the JCPoA, was agreed in 2015 between

Tehran and world powers, offering Iran relief from sanctions if

it curbed its nuclear work. Trump withdrew from the deal in 2018

and reimposed U.S. sanctions, telling Tehran he wanted a more

stringent deal on nuclear and other issues.

Iran has responded to the U.S. sanctions by scaling back its

compliance with the deal, culminating with an announcement this

month that it would reject all limits on production of enriched

uranium, although it says it wants to keep the deal in place.

Britain, France and Germany triggered the deal'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 Trump's

administration had threatened to impose a 25% tariff on European

automobile imports if Britain, France and Germany did not

formally accuse Iran of breaking the nuclear deal.

"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.

A third diplomat said such U.S. tactics only undermined the

Europeans, who are trying to apply pressure independently.

"True or not it has the effect of discrediting the

Europeans, but then Trump doesn’t really care about that," the

diplomat said. "From the Iranian side, it just proves that only

the U.S. matters in this."

'SNAPPING BACK'

The Europeans have long opposed Trump's decision to withdraw

from the nuclear deal, but have been threatening for months to

trigger the dispute mechanism if Iran did not comply with it.

The dispute mechanism begins a complex diplomatic process

that can end with U.N. sanctions on Iran "snapping back" into

place, although the Europeans say that is not their aim.

In triggering the dispute mechanism, the European countries

said they were not backing a U.S. policy of "maximum pressure"

on Iran, and they still hope to salvage the nuclear deal.

The nuclear dispute lies at the heart of Iran's long-running

standoff with the West that spiralled into open conflict this

month when Washington killed an Iranian general in Baghdad and

Tehran responded with missile strikes on U.S. targets in Iraq.

During that period of high alert, Iran shot down a civilian

airliner in what it now says was a tragic mistake. This has

triggered anti-government protests at home.

Enriched uranium can be used to create material for nuclear

warheads. Iran denies Western accusations it wants such weapons

and says it wants nuclear material for peaceful purposes.

"We are enriching more uranium than before the deal was

reached," President Hassan Rouhani said in a televised speech.

"Pressure has increased on Iran but we continue to progress."

U.S. sanctions meanwhile have hammered Iran's economy.

Washington aims to reduce its oil exports to zero.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that, if the 2015

pact were scrapped, "let's replace it with the Trump deal".

France said the only way to resolve the crisis between the

United States and Iran was for Tehran to accept a broad

negotiation and Washington to progressively reduce sanctions.

Iran has repeatedly said it will not talk with sanctions in

place, and cannot negotiate with Trump who broke U.S. promises

by abandoning the previous deal. 

Reuters

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