Official Decries EU’s Failure to Persuade Firms to Work with Iran
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The head of Iran’s Strategic Council on Foreign Relations decried the European governments’ inability to oblige their companies to cooperate with Tehran, saying such a lack of authority is unacceptable.
Speaking at a Saturday meeting with a delegation from the Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) -an Italian non-profit organization- Kamal Kharrazi lambasted the European Union’s delay in putting into practice a special purpose vehicle (SPV) which has been developed to save the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and maintain international trade with Iran.
“The fact that the European governments are unable to support European companies direct them to cooperate with Iran is not defensible and acceptable,” Kharrazi said.
He contended that such a failure demonstrates that the European governments are not reliable and raises questions about the EU’s decision to enter talks with Iran while it is unable to control even its own companies.
Kharrazi further warned the EU that giving in to the US demands would only lead to more such pressures, adding, “The fall of the JCPOA will also have an impact on Europe’s security.”
“The US has held Europe hostage, therefore, Europe will face more problems in future in the face of the US,” added the Iranian figure, a former foreign minister.
Kharrazi then called on the EU to learn from China and Russia how to stand against the US, stressing, “European interests require that it takes practical measures on the JCPOA.”
EU countries led by France, Germany and Britain, have said they want to enable non-US trade with Iran to continue in defiance of Washington.
The EU has devised the SPV, a financial mechanism, to continue trade with Iran and neutralize the US sanctions against Tehran.
However, the European countries have been criticized for their sluggishness in implementing the SPV.
On May 8, US President Donald Trump pulled his country out of the JCPOA, which 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).
