Le Drian expressed France’s “determination to fight” so that the USA decisions don’t hurt those companies that have invested in Iran. More broadly, Trump’s decision could have serious implications for global nuclear nonproliferation efforts, which now face the prospect of backsliding. Unfortunately, we’d be lucky to get back to the pre-withdrawal status quo, considering how quickly (and predictably) the E.U.is moving to assuage Iran and cushion any blow to its economy. The U.S. president’s decision plays to his populist base and serves as a rallying cry for some of his critics in the Republican establishment.
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The damage caused by short-sighted use of sanctions on Iran will spread because these measures do not exist in isolation.
Reimposition of sanctions may even make Iran offer oil on favourable terms to India. Iran is very different from North Korea, a region with a longer, more volatile history and many more countries who have a stake in the outcome. Indeed, according to The Associated Press, European allies were ready to ink an agreement with the United States to fix the deal when Trump pulled out. S.to simply withdraw from this deal, it also means that other countries can withdraw as well, ” he said. Conversely, if it expects to be sanctioned regardless of meeting the original demands, it is less likely to succumb to the pressure – after all, what can it gain by complying?
The crisis, potentially plunging the USA and Europe into a sanctions war and raising serious questions about European economic sovereignty, will also be discussed at a meeting of EU heads of state on Wednesday in Sofia. The regime’s radical religious leaders have repeatedly condemned the United States and sought to create instability across the Middle East.
Speaking on “Fox News Sunday”, Pompeo said the United States was not aiming at Europe when it withdrew from the deal.
Most intriguingly, the threat of sanctions may lead to a sharp increase in yuan-denominated trade which avoids all contact with the U.S. financial system – not just by Chinese companies, but by others in Asia too. Similarly, on Iran, it was Europe that cut its trade with Tehran most drastically.
– “Respect the deal” – The European Union insists the deal is working, pointing to repeated United Nations inspections verifying the Islamic republic’s compliance with its side of the bargain.
China was closely involved in negotiating the agreement as one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and has always been a close Iranian economic partner, buying about a third of Iran’s oil shipments. But, for that, Trump had to sincerely abide by the JCPOA until the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had established the links between Iran’s extant ballistic missiles programme and its previous plans to develop nuclear weapons.
Sanctions are a powerful but blunt instrument, take a long time to work and usually do not produce the political dividends expected by those who impose them.
As such, it remains as hard as ever to prognosticate the future moves of the Trump administration. Analysts have suggested Russian Federation could benefit economically from the U.S. pull-out, as it is less exposed to the consequences of renewed sanctions than Europe. A rosy picture of the Trump administration and Bolton in particular, given his strong animus against China, will continue.
We are used to seeing countries extend sanctions that affect only the citizens, not those responsible and using the situation to further their own agenda. Bipartisan support could have improved the deal and strengthened the negotiations.
Veteran Israeli peace activist Gershon Baskin told Arab News that the opening of the US Embassy in Jerusalem “is harmful to chances of peace and goes against worldwide accepted positions that the future of Jerusalem must be decided and resolved by Israel and Palestine together”. Since any successful sanctions effort against North Korea necessarily depends on cooperation from China, preserving trustworthiness with partners in sanctions programs is key.
European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini is determined to save the 2015 deal with Iran.
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Macron and Trump also discussed trade issues.
