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Iran: Europe should defy US sanctions if Trump leaves N-deal

Published

9 years ago

September 30, 2017

Iran: Europe should defy US sanctions if Trump leaves N-deal

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]In a bid to isolate US administration on nuclear deal, Iran has urged Europe to defy US sanctions if Trump administration chooses to abandon the deal known as Joint comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) signed in 2015 by Iran and five permanent Security Council members plus Germany.

Iran’s foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, while talking to the UK based The Guardian and Financial Express in New York, said that Tehran will only abide by restrictions under the deal if other signatories- the UK, France, Germany, Russia and China- all remain committed to the deal and defy subsequent US sanctions. The interview was appeared in Friday edition.

Javad Zarif warned that deal will be collapsed if Europe followed Washington’s lead and Iran would emerge with more advanced nuclear technology than before the agreement was reached in 2015. “Europe should lead” Zarif suggested.

“The deal allowed Iran to continue its research and development. So we have improved our technological base,” he said. “If we decide to walk away from the deal we would be walking away with better technology.”

However he clarified, “It will always be peaceful, because membership of the NPT is not dependent on this deal. But we will not observe the limitations that were agreed on as part of the bargain in this deal.”

EU foreign policy chief, Federica Mogheirini, who was seen with head scarf while traveling to Tehran during diplomatic exercise before arriving at the 2015 deal, has recently clarified on the subject. Following a ministerial meeting on the deal at UN General Assembly at New York last week, she stressed that all the signatories, including the US, had agreed that Iran was in compliance with its obligations under the terms of the agreement and that Europe would do everything possible to keep the deal alive, even in the event of US withdrawal.

Iranian foreign minister apprehended that Trump would carry out his threat by non-certifying Iranian compliance in the forthcoming state department report to be submitted to Congress on October 15. Congress would have 60days to re-impose sanctions suspended under the deal. Zarif was quoted saying, “My assumption and guess is that he will not certify and then will allow Congress to take the decision.”

Iranian foreign minister expressed his candid observation s on Trump’s working style. He said, “I think he has made a policy of being unpredictable, and now he’s turning that into being unreliable as well.”

Zarif chose to speak on the subject after a week of US Joint chiefs of staff General Joseph Dunford admitted before Congress that US abrogation would damage its long term credibility. “It makes sense to me that our holding up agreements that we have signed, unless there’s a material breach, would have an impact on others’ willingness to sign agreements,” he reportedly said.

President Donald Trump and his administration officials have claimed that Iran was violating a line in the preface of the agreement saying the signatories anticipate the deal would contribute to regional peace and security.

Conflicting views of US and UK were made public on September 14, when the secretary of state Rex Tillerson and British Foreign secretary Boris Johnson, in a joint press conference in London, had openly expressed their views. Tillerson said the US viewed Iran as being in default of the deal’s expectations but Johnson urged the world to “have faith” in its potential to create a more open Iran.

The US official tried to relate Iran deal with other regional issues. Tillerson emphasised that US decision about whether to end the agreement will be based a wider assessment of Iranian behaviour, including in Yemen and Syria and not just on whether Iran is complying with the strict terms of the deal.

US and its regional allies, Saudi Arabia and Israel have been alleging Iran of supporting Houthis in Yemen in their fight against Saudi led war and extending support to Syria’s Basher al-Assad in his fight against IS and Al-Nusra front like opposition groups.

President Trump, while addressing at UNGA recently had resumed his attacks on the agreement calling it “one of the worst deals I’ve ever seen.” He claimed that Iran had “violated so many different elements, but they’ve also violated the spirit of the deal”. He did not clearly what he would do on October 15 about verifying Iran’s compliance but said his stance would be “very evident”.

However, state department spokeswoman, Heather Nauert, said on Thursday that US would continue to suspend nuclear related sanctions on the Iranian oil industry, as required by the agreement.

But at the same time she clarified, “Waiving some of those sanctions should not be seen as an indication of President Trump or his administration’s position on the JCPOA nor does the waiver give the Iranian regime a pass on its broad range of malign behaviour.”

Under the nuclear deal Iran had agreed to redesign, convert and reduce its nuclear facilities and accept the Additional Protocol in order to lift all nuclear related economical sanctions, freeing up tens of billions of dollars in oil revenue and frozen assets.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Related Topics:Donald Trump Iran Nuclear Deal

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Trump rejects Iran’s 7-day peace plan, says deal can come after US polls

US President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s seven-day proposal to end hostilities and indicated that a deal could come after the US midterm elections in November.

Published

8 hours ago

September 26, 2026

APNLive Desk

US President Donald Trump has rejected Iran’s latest proposal aimed at bringing an end to the ongoing conflict, while indicating that a possible agreement could come after the US midterm elections in November.

Iran had proposed a seven-day framework under which hostilities could be brought to an end, the Strait of Hormuz could be reopened and negotiations over its nuclear programme could resume.

Iran’s seven-day proposal

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran had put forward the proposal through intermediaries. Under the plan, the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened by the end of the seventh day if specified conditions were met, while broader nuclear discussions would restart.

The proposal was based largely on an earlier understanding reached between Washington and Tehran, but Iran sought to implement the latest framework much faster. The earlier arrangement had provided a longer period for negotiations.

The Strait of Hormuz is a strategically important waterway for global energy shipments, making its reopening a key element of any effort to ease the wider conflict.

Trump points to US midterm elections

Trump, speaking at the United Nations, showed no indication that he was ready to immediately resume negotiations on the terms proposed by Tehran.

He called for the economic isolation of Iran and said he believed a deal could be reached after the US midterm elections in November. Trump also said Iran was waiting to see how he performed in the midterm elections.

The remarks came as Iranian officials signalled that they remained open to diplomacy and described the UN General Assembly as an opportunity to revive negotiations.

Nuclear talks remain part of Iran proposal

Iran’s latest plan links the easing of hostilities with the resumption of negotiations over its nuclear programme.

The proposal follows the collapse of an earlier US-Iran arrangement. According to reporting on the latest proposal, the new framework is intended to compress the timeline for implementing commitments that had previously been discussed by the two sides.

For now, Trump’s remarks indicate that Washington is not accepting Tehran’s seven-day framework as presented, while Iran continues to put diplomacy and negotiations forward as part of its proposal.

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Iranian President Pezeshkian at UN says Iranians have been victims of US terrorism

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said at the UN General Assembly that Iranians had been victims of US terrorism and insisted that Iran had acted in self-defence.

Published

3 days ago

September 23, 2026

APNLive Desk

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused the United States of subjecting Iranians to what he described as terrorism while addressing the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday.

Pezeshkian said Iran had defended itself against attacks and rejected the characterisation of the country as a terrorist actor. His remarks came during a rare wartime appearance at the UN as tensions between Iran and the United States remain high.

Pezeshkian accuses US and Israel of attacks

Speaking at the General Assembly, Pezeshkian said Iranian civilians had been targeted by attacks and described the actions against his country as aggression.

“We have only defended ourselves. We are not terrorists,” he said, according to the report.

Pezeshkian also accused the United States and Israel of attacking Iran, while maintaining that Tehran’s response was an act of self-defence.

The Iranian president displayed photographs of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and more than 150 schoolchildren who, according to his account, were killed during the early days of the conflict.

Iran’s message at the UN

Pezeshkian’s address came against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict between Iran and the United States and heightened tensions in the region.

Iranian officials had indicated ahead of the UN visit that they intended to highlight what Tehran considers attacks against its people and raise concerns over the international response to the conflict.

The Iranian delegation’s visit to New York also comes amid restrictions imposed by the United States on the delegation’s movement and other aspects of its stay, according to reporting ahead of the address.

Pezeshkian says Iran defended itself

Pezeshkian’s central message at the UN was that Iran’s military actions should be viewed as a response to attacks rather than terrorism.

His description of the conflict and the allegations against the United States and Israel represent the Iranian government’s position. They should therefore be attributed to Pezeshkian rather than presented as independently established facts.

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PM Modi’s Canada visit could help wrap trade talks, says Canada PM Mark Carney

Canadian PM Mark Carney said he is looking forward to hosting PM Narendra Modi, with both countries aiming to conclude their ongoing trade negotiations.

Published

3 days ago

September 23, 2026

APNLive Desk

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said he is looking forward to hosting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as India and Canada continue efforts to advance their bilateral relationship and conclude ongoing trade negotiations.

The two countries have been working towards a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), with both sides previously setting a target to conclude the negotiations in 2026.

Carney and Modi have held discussions on strengthening economic ties between India and Canada, including trade and investment. Their engagement has gained momentum following Carney’s visit to India earlier this year.

India-Canada trade talks

India and Canada formally resumed efforts towards a broader trade agreement after a period of strained bilateral ties. The two sides have committed to advancing negotiations on a CEPA covering their economic relationship.

In June, Carney and Modi reviewed progress in bilateral economic cooperation during their meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France. They expressed satisfaction with the progress in CEPA negotiations and reaffirmed their shared objective of concluding the talks in 2026.

During Carney’s visit to India in March, the two leaders had also agreed to accelerate negotiations on the CEPA and work towards finalising the agreement during 2026.

Modi’s proposed Canada visit

Carney had invited PM Modi to visit Canada in 2026, and the two leaders agreed to remain engaged through diplomatic channels to work towards a mutually convenient date for the visit.

The proposed visit comes as New Delhi and Ottawa seek to build on renewed diplomatic and economic engagement, with trade negotiations remaining a key part of the relationship.

The focus on completing the trade talks comes as both countries look to expand commercial ties and establish a broader economic framework through the proposed CEPA.