Time for Iran to ‘give up hope’ on Europe defying US sanctions – Supreme Leader Khamenei

Iran should abandon the belief that Europe will spurn Washington’s hardline policy towards Tehran, Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has argued, adding that those who wish to harm the Islamic Republic should not be trusted.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Khamenei said that despite pledging to salvage the 2015 nuclear deal, European nations have adhered to practically all aspects of US sanctions against Tehran, which were unilaterally imposed on the country after Washington withdrew from the accord last year.

[They] have not taken any action and are unlikely to do anything for the Islamic Republic in the future. So, one should give up all hope on Europeans.

The UK, France and Germany, who were signatories to the imperiled agreement, moved to set up new trade mechanisms with Iran after the United States slapped Tehran with fresh sanctions. That system, however, is still not functional, with European states apparently afraid of running afoul of Washington’s restrictions.

Khamenei stressed that, to his eyes, European states that refuse to break with the US and abide by their commitments under the deal should not be trusted.

“There should be no trust in countries that have held the banner of hostility to [Iran’s] Islamic system, led by the United States and some European countries, because they are openly hostile to the Iranian people,” he stated.

Tehran has begun to slowly distance itself from conditions set out in the accord, arguing that it was under no commitment to honor its side of the deal if the other signatories did the same.

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