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Europeans working against US efforts to harm Iran deal

Tuesday, 27 February 2018 4:41 PM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 27 February 2018 6:51 PM ]

EU Ambassador to the US David O'Sullivan speaks during a discussion on “Europe and the Iran Deal” at the Atlantic Council in Washington, DC, September 25, 2017. (AFP)

Major powers in Europe have been working to find ways to nullify efforts by US President Donald Trump to undermine the nuclear deal with Iran, says David O’Sullivan, the European Union ambassador to the United States.

O’Sullivan said the capitals in Europe believed that there was almost no justification to sabotage the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran that had proved to be working well under international norms, adding that Trump’s efforts to reintroduce sanctions that Iran managed to get lifted through the deal were just helpless.

“We removed the sanctions which were part of the deal, and in good faith you cannot put back those sanctions without due cause,” said O’Sullivan in a Monday meeting with a group of journalists in Washington.

The diplomat said the EU was searching for an accommodation with Washington over the issue, but said that Brussels was determined to protect the nuclear deal as it was “fundamental” to the continent’s security. He also ruled out speculations that the EU might, under Trump’s pressure, decide to renegotiate the aspects of the deal.

“We will not renegotiate the deal, and we will not do anything which in our view puts the deal in jeopardy,” said O’Sullivan, adding, “... we will not do anything which jeopardizes the deal, which is absolutely fundamental to Europe’s national security,”

The comments could be a serious blow to efforts by the Trump administration to persuade European allies to scale back their ties with Iran in order to force the country into some new concessions over the historic nuclear deal. The White House has indicated that it wants more sanctions on Iran over the country’s missile program, something many say is totally unrelated to the nuclear agreement.

O’Sullivan said the EU would not reinstate trade sanctions on Iran, saying there was no justification to pressure the country under pretexts promoted by the Trump administration, such as Tehran’s missile program and its alleged support for terrorism, which the Islamic Republic has strongly rejected.

“That, in my view, is not going to work,” said the seasoned European diplomat.

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