Iran warns of consequences if EU does not protect benefits of nuclear deal
Brussels seeks to sidestep sanctions, but progress is slow and companies are reluctant to anger the US
Iran’s nuclear chief warned the EU on Monday of “ominous” consequences if it did not follow through with action to keep the economic benefits of the 2015 nuclear agreement alive. Ali Akbar Salehi said the EU was “doing its best” after the US pulled out of the deal and reimposed sanctions on Iranian oil exports this month, even as the bloc’s efforts to salvage trade ties have floundered. But Salehi, the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation, told reporters in Brussels: “If words are not turned into deeds, then … it is very ominous, the situation would be unpredictable.” The EU and other remaining parties to the accord — China and Russia — hope to convince Tehran to respect the curbs that the deal placed on its nuclear programme, despite Washington’s pullout and its sanctions that aim to force the rest of the world to stop buying Iranian oil. Striving to circumvent those sanctions, EU nations plan to facilitate nondollar transactions with Iran. A so-called special purpose vehicle ...
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