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"Iran's neighbors have paid a heavy price for the agenda of aggression and expansion," Trump told the UN. "That's why so many countries in the Middle East have strongly supported my decision to pull the United States out of the horrible agreement over Iran in 2015 and to re-impose nuclear sanctions."
The president's remarks represent an intensification of US pressure on Iran that began with the withdrawal of the Trump administration in May from the joint Global Action Plan, with the nuclear agreement signed in 2015 being officially known. This decision, made in spite of the US recognition that Iran was complying with the agreement, widened the gap with US partners in Europe, who were also signatories to the agreement. In the months that followed, the United States resumed some sanctions against Iran and strove to enforce global rules by preparing to reimpose the most punitive measures targeting the Republic's oil exports and payments. Islamic. Its stated goal is to persuade Iranian oil buyers to reduce their imports to zero. It would devastate the already vulnerable economy of Iran.
The Iranian economy is struggling even without American sanctions
The prospect of economic and political benefits was an essential incentive to persuade Iran to sign the nuclear deal and freeze its nuclear program. Indeed, the survival of the agreement after the withdrawal of the United States rests on the remaining signatories – China, France, Iran, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and the EU – providing these benefits to Iran. But the impending US sanctions, which would target any foreign company doing business in US dollars and also doing business with Iran, have had a deterrent effect on European and other companies with investments in the Islamic Republic. Many of them have withdrawn or announced their intention to suspend their activities in Iran. The United States said that its purpose was to punish Iran and that it would make no exception to its sanctions regime, even for its friends and allies. This prompted the EU to adopt so-called blocking laws that would prohibit European companies from complying with US sanctions – although EU officials publicly acknowledged that they were unlikely to be able to comply with the US sanctions. Influence the choice of their companies. But Monday's decision, announced at the UN, goes further: the countries that remain in the JCPOA have announced a new "special vehicle" that would allow them essentially to circumvent US sanctions.
German Foreign Minister proposes ways to get around US sanctions
"In concrete terms, this will mean that EU Member States will create a legal entity to facilitate legitimate financial transactions with Iran, which will allow European companies to continue to trade with Iran in accordance with EU law. Federica Mogherini, head of European diplomacy, said after meeting with foreign ministers from China, France, Iran, Germany, Russia and the United Kingdom at the UN. Technical experts from other states will now meet to make the "special-purpose vehicle" a reality, and such a mechanism is likely to be ready by November 4, when US oil-related sanctions on Iran come into effect. But this measure will not prevent the US Treasury Department from sanctioning the acquisition of Iranian oil, an act that violates itself the right amer icain.
