Juncker defends Iran n-deal despite US sanctions

The EU should remain strong on its commitment to the Iran nuclear deal and not be swayed by a change in policy from the US, the head of the European Commission said on Friday.

Jean-Claude Juncker gave an address at the Austrian Parliament where he said the EU should defend its participation in the historic pact -- which saw Tehran trade-in its nuclear weapons programme for less restrictive international sanctions -- so that European businesses were not affected by fresh US sanctions drawn up after President Donald Trump pulled out of the 2015 agreement.

"Europeans must keep their word and not give in to a change of moods just because others are doing so," the Luxembourgish politician was quoted as saying by Efe news. "In this context, we must defend ourselves more, because European companies should not suffer under the sanctions imposed against Iran by another, larger power."

The EU took measures to soften the blow of US sanctions in August.

Trump was hostile towards the Iran deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), throughout his presidential campaign and announced Washington's withdrawal in May.

The White House subsequently said it would slap fresh sanctions on the Islamic Republic, an initial round lasting until November 4 to be followed by additional punitive measures thereafter.

In response, Iran filed a lawsuit against the US at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague based on a 1955 bilateral treaty on friendship and economic partnership, signed after the Washington-backed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was put in power following a coup.

The ICJ ordered the US to ease some of its planned sanctions, prompting the White House to scrap the 1955 deal.

The remaining parties of the JCPOA include the UK, Russia, China, France Germany and the EU.

--IANS

soni/