‘US has bullied Europe for a year’: Iran’s FM calls on EU to step up over nuclear deal

Iran’s foreign minister has issued a scathing response to the EU’s joint statement on the crumbling nuclear pact, saying the bloc has been bullied by the US “for a year” and needs to uphold its obligations under the deal.

Earlier Thursday, the EU and Foreign Ministers of France, Germany, and the UK issued a joint statement reaffirming their collective commitment to the Iran deal while also strongly hinting that US intrusion on Iran is unwelcome.

That statement came a day after Tehran announced it would suspend some of its commitments under the 2015 deal, a year after the US pulled out of the agreement. Other signatories to the deal have 60 days to negotiate with Iran over its concerns, including that the European members of the deal haven’t done enough to uphold their own end of the deal and protect Iran from US sanctions.

US President Donald Trump responded to Wednesday’s announcement by introducing a raft of new sanctions on anyone who trades with Iran in iron, steel, copper, aluminum, and related products, escalating the economic blockade of Tehran.

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