Iran: EU Lacks Power to Stand against US Pressures

“Some realities have unveiled throughout time. Despite enjoying the political will, the EU has shown in practice that it doesn’t have the necessary ability (to stand) against the US pressures and despite the dates that they had announced (for the SPV implementation), they have failed to enforce this mechanism,” Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi told reporters in a press conference in Tehran on Monday.

He expressed the hope that Europe would defend its identity and independence against the US, warning, “If Europe is not able to accomplish this mechanism, it should wait for more economic pressures by the US on Europe.”

In relevant remarks last Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif blasted the European states for their unwillingness to pay the price for keeping the 2015 nuclear deal alive, warning that the EU would be harmed if it fails to launch the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) soon.

“Of course, the Europeans had a serious opportunity in Iran and they missed it for their inaction and passiveness towards the US or lack of internal coordination or opportunism. Unfortunately, Europe is not ready to pay the price and this will bars their optimum use of international situation, while others could and used the opportunity,” Zarif said in an interview with Iran’s Khorassan newspaper.

He underscored that Europe was the side which had lost its interests by dragging its feet in the implementation of the SPV mechanism.

Zarif stressed that Europe did not present Iran’s only chance as it might also expand ties with different states, adding, “Even the neighbors present higher priorities than Europe. Our relations with Russia, Turkey, Iraq and other neighbors and our ties with China, considering the volume (of trade) and reliability, are more important than relations with Europe.”

Zarif had also lastMonday renewed warnings to the European Union to speed up launch of its long-awaited SPV.

“The Europeans are slow in implementing their undertakings under the nuclear deal. We will not wait for them (long) unless they take practical steps,” Zarif said in an interview with the Arabic-language al-Mayadeen news channel.

Zarif warned that his country was not handcuffed in dealing with the situation, saying Tehran had multiple options on the table which could be brought into action if Europeans’ promising words are not interpreted into action soon.

“We have several options after the US retreat from the nuclear deal and we will take them once our national interests make it necessary,” he added.

European Union Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini announced earlier this month that the EU would establish a mechanism to facilitate non-dollar transactions with Iran in the near future in a bid to bypass the sanctions imposed by the United States against Tehran.

“I will expect this instrument to be established in the coming weeks before the end of the year as a way to protect and promote legitimate business,” Mogherini told reporters in Brussels.

Mogherini, however, declined to reveal more details on the financial mechanism.

The EU foreign policy chief reiterated that the EU foreign ministers all agreed on the preservation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

“Iran’s compliance with the JCPOA has been confirmed by the IAEA thirteen times so far,” Mogherini said, adding that Europe expected Iran to remain committed to the deal as usual.

She also underlined that the special financial mechanism, also known as the Special Purpose Vehicle, to continue trade with Iran under US sanctions, would be put into operation in the coming weeks.

The SPV which was promised by Iran’s key European trading partners back in September after a meeting of foreign ministers of the remaining signatories to Iran nuclear on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting in New York after the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal is supposed to keep Iran’s financial relations with Europe alive under the US sanctions.

Europeans’ honesty in dealing with Iran nuclear deal of July 14, 2015 is seriously doubted by Iranian masses and activists that are discontent with talks with European counterparts.

In contrast with what European politicians and government are stating, many experts in Iran are suspicious of Europe’s genuine commitment to the letters of the nuclear agreement of July 14, 2015, and are voicing their discontent with what they describe as Europe’s strategy of killing time.

Even some commentators like Seyed Mostafa Khoshchashm are calling the Iranian government to start meaningful modifications in JCPOA undertakings, and specially remove the cap on the country’s enriched uranium stockpile after the US unilateral withdrawal from the agreement; a call which is gaining momentum among the Iranians.