Iran blasts US efforts to turn Europe against nuclear deal
"We have long been the target of an unhealthy fixation, let's say obsession" from the U.S. Pence "arrogantly demanded that Europe must join the United States in undermining its own security and breaking its obligations," Mohammad Javad Zarif said at the Munich Security Conference. "Instex falls short of commitments by the E3 (France, Germany, Britain) to save the nuclear deal. Europe needs to be willing to get wet if it wants to swim against the dangerous tide of U.S. unilateralism," he added.
- World
- Reuters & AFP
- Published Date: 01:58 | 17 February 2019
- Modified Date: 01:58 | 17 February 2019
Iran's foreign minister is blasting the United States' "unhealthy fixation" with his country and condemning the Trump administration's efforts to press European countries to pull out of the nuclear agreement with Tehran.
Mohammad Javad Zarif addressed the Munich Security Conference on Sunday, a day after U.S. Vice President Mike Pence prodded European powers Germany, France and Britain to follow Washington in withdrawing from the deal and to "stop undermining U.S. sanctions."
The U.S. withdrew unilaterally last year from the 2015 agreement, which offers Iran sanctions relief for limiting its nuclear program.
Zarif says "we have long been the target of an unhealthy fixation, let's say obsession" from the U.S. He said Pence "arrogantly demanded that Europe must join the United States in undermining its own security and breaking its obligations."
Zarif also said that a European mechanism to trade with Tehran fell short and that France, Britain and Germany needed to do more to show their commitment to the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran.
"Instex (the mechanism) falls short of commitments by the E3 (France, Germany, Britain) to save the nuclear deal," Mohammad Javad Zarif said at the Munich Security Conference. "Europe needs to be willing to get wet if it wants to swim against the dangerous tide of U.S. unilateralism."