Dubai/Paris - Iran said on Thursday three
European states had succumbed to "high school bully" Donald
Trump when they triggered a dispute mechanism in a nuclear pact
the US president opposes, a step that could eventually lead to
reimposing U.N. sanctions.
The pact, known as the JCPoA, was agreed in 2015 between
Tehran and world powers, offering Iran relief from sanctions if
it curbed its nuclear work. Trump withdrew from the deal in 2018
and reimposed U.S. sanctions, telling Tehran he wanted a more
stringent deal on nuclear and other issues.
Iran has responded to the U.S. sanctions by scaling back its
compliance with the deal, culminating with an announcement this
month that it would reject all limits on production of enriched
uranium, although it says it wants to keep the deal in place.
Britain, France and Germany triggered the deal's dispute
mechanism this week. London said it was now time for a "Trump
deal" to replace it, while Paris said broad talks were needed.
The Washington Post reported on Wednesday that Trump's
administration had threatened to impose a 25% tariff on European
automobile imports if Britain, France and Germany did not
formally accuse Iran of breaking the nuclear deal.
"Appeasement confirmed. E3 sold out remnants of #JCPOA to
avoid new Trump tariffs. It won't work my friends. You only whet
his appetite. Remember your high school bully?" Iranian Foreign
Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote on Twitter.
Two European diplomats confirmed Washington had threatened
tariffs but said leaders of the three European states had
already decided to trigger the mechanism before that.
A third diplomat said such U.S. tactics only undermined the
Europeans, who are trying to apply pressure independently.
"True or not it has the effect of discrediting the
Europeans, but then Trump doesn’t really care about that," the
diplomat said. "From the Iranian side, it just proves that only
the U.S. matters in this."
'SNAPPING BACK'
The Europeans have long opposed Trump's decision to withdraw
from the nuclear deal, but have been threatening for months to
trigger the dispute mechanism if Iran did not comply with it.
The dispute mechanism begins a complex diplomatic process
that can end with U.N. sanctions on Iran "snapping back" into
place, although the Europeans say that is not their aim.
In triggering the dispute mechanism, the European countries
said they were not backing a U.S. policy of "maximum pressure"
on Iran, and they still hope to salvage the nuclear deal.
The nuclear dispute lies at the heart of Iran's long-running
standoff with the West that spiralled into open conflict this
month when Washington killed an Iranian general in Baghdad and
Tehran responded with missile strikes on U.S. targets in Iraq.
During that period of high alert, Iran shot down a civilian
airliner in what it now says was a tragic mistake. This has
triggered anti-government protests at home.
Enriched uranium can be used to create material for nuclear
warheads. Iran denies Western accusations it wants such weapons
and says it wants nuclear material for peaceful purposes.
"We are enriching more uranium than before the deal was
reached," President Hassan Rouhani said in a televised speech.
"Pressure has increased on Iran but we continue to progress."
U.S. sanctions meanwhile have hammered Iran's economy.
Washington aims to reduce its oil exports to zero.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that, if the 2015
pact were scrapped, "let's replace it with the Trump deal".
France said the only way to resolve the crisis between the
United States and Iran was for Tehran to accept a broad
negotiation and Washington to progressively reduce sanctions.
Iran has repeatedly said it will not talk with sanctions in
place, and cannot negotiate with Trump who broke U.S. promises
by abandoning the previous deal.