The United States is not the "World Trade Policeman", says France, vowing to challenge Trump's sanctions against Iran

France has criticized President Donald Trump's decision to reimpose sanctions on Iran, promising to lead Europe in defiance of punitive financial measures.

The Minister of Economy, Bruno Le Mayor, explained Tuesday that Europe was progressing in the establishment of a special financial channel to continue trading with Iran. He stressed that such measures should guarantee Europe's "economic sovereignty" and strengthen the power of the euro to increase its power to the US dollar.

"Europe refuses to let the United States be the commercial policeman of the world," said The Mayor Financial Times Tuesday. The minister also pointed out that tensions with the United States over Iran and the Joint Global Action Plan, commonly referred to as the Iranian nuclear deal, revealed the need for the EU to "d & # 39; 39, to affirm its independence ".

French President Emmanuel Macron meets with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in front of French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on September 25 in New York. LUDOVIC MARIN / AFP / Getty Images

In May, Trump withdrew the United States from the international treaty, despite strong criticism from the European signatories, as well as from Russia and China. Washington then decided in August to implement the first set of punitive financial measures against Iran. A second set of sanctions has been put in place by the White House this week, targeting more than 700 Iranian entities. Although Trump warned his allies and enemies not to support Tehran, European leaders have worked to ensure that the JCPOA agreement remains in place without the United States.

Eight countries have benefited from a six-month exemption after the application of the latest sanctions targeting the Iranian oil sector, but France as well as all EU countries, with the exception of Greece and Italy, have not received a laissez-passer.

Turkey and Russia also criticized Trump's latest round of sanctions against Iran on Tuesday, promising to find ways to defy punitive financial measures. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the sanctions "were in contradiction with the norms of international law" and that he did not wish to "live in an imperialist world". Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also called Washington's sanctions "unacceptable methods". circumvent the Trump administration's efforts.

The mayor was strongly criticized by Washington the same day that French President Emmanuel Macron warned against the threat posed by the United States for the security of Europe.

On the eve of Washington's resumption of sanctions, Iranian protesters demonstrate in front of the US Embassy in Tehran on Nov. 4 to commemorate the storming of students who unleashed a crackdown. taking hostages in 1979.
ATTA KENARE / AFP / Getty Images

"We need to protect ourselves from China, Russia and even the United States of America," Macron told Europe 1 radio, while calling for the creation of a "real European army" to fight against external threats.

However, in September, Macron said he agreed with Trump's "targets" for Iran, but he did not agree with this approach.

"I agree with the objectives of the US President, even though we do not agree on the nuclear deal, but I think we need to build together a long-term strategy, which does not can be summarized as sanctions and confinement, "said Macron. a meeting of the UN Security Council on non-proliferation.