German FM: Germany and U.S. "are pursuing two entirely separate paths."
Angela Merkel, who is visiting China, said it would be up to Beijing to fill in the trade vacuum after the United States announced historic, tough sanctions on Tehran ...
Sputnik
May 24, 2018 - 07:25 (updated 08:04
"As for the Iran deal, it is far from ideal but other options are even less stable," Merkel admitted. "That is why we will continue to respect this agreement," she told reporters in Beijing on Thursday after meeting China's Premier Li Keqiang.
The German chancellor, however, emphasized some EU businesses will be forced to wind down operations in Iran to avoid US sanctions. "Sanctions will likely lead some European companies to pull out of Iran," she told reporters.
Angela Merkel, who is visiting China, said it would be up to Beijing to fill in the trade vacuum after the United States announced historic, tough sanctions on Tehran over its alleged violation of a 2015 nuclear deal.
On Wednesday, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said after meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, that both countries "are pursuing two entirely separate paths."
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on an earlier occasion, laid out a list of demands for EU signatories of the nuclear pact, failing which Tehran could restart its atomic program.
Khamenei has accused Germany, France and the United Kingdom of staying silent over the course of two years while the United States violated the 2015 agreement.
US President Donald Trump earlier this month said his country would quit the agreement with Iran in a bid to negotiate a wider pact. The European Union, China and Russia have vowed to abide by the deal, which saw Iran wind down its nuclear activities in return for sanctions easing.
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Khamenei has accused Germany, France and the United Kingdom of staying silent over the course of two years while the United States violated the 2015 agreement.
US President Donald Trump earlier this month said his country would quit the agreement with Iran in a bid to negotiate a wider pact. The European Union, China and Russia have vowed to abide by the deal, which saw Iran wind down its nuclear activities in return for sanctions easing.
[END REPORT]
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If European countries and their companies honor the US sanctions, then the JCPOA is dead regardless of what Merkel says. In that case, we are back to square one, and Iran's promises are null and void, too. If, as is likely, Iran restarts its uranium enrichment program or tries to rebuild its heavy water reactor, the US will be left with a dilemma. Trump threatened to attack Iranian facilities if they restarted their nuclear programs, so he has painted himself into a corner.
ReplyDeletehmmmmmm. i find the China angle interesting. We'll see if the Europeans do anything more than blither at their meeting today....
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