EU Leaders Agree to Work Towards Preserving Nuclear Deal with Iran

Reports indicate that European leaders agreed on Wednesday, May 17, to work to preserve the nuclear deal with Iran, known as the JCPOA, and to continue their economic relations with Tehran. According to Reuters, this was the first meeting of the leaders of the 28 member states of the European Union after Donald Trump's decision to withdraw the United States from the nuclear agreement with Iran, and the attendees at the Sofia meeting in Bulgaria did not make an immediate decision on this matter. Donald Tusk, President of the European Council, stated that as long as Iran adheres to its commitments under the nuclear agreement, the European Union will also comply. In this context, a European source regarding the Wednesday meeting in Sofia told Radio Free Europe that overall, the negotiations were very constructive, positive, and cohesive on all issues. He added that Donald Tusk presented a summary of the EU's approach, which includes various points, such as 'despite recent decisions regarding international treaties on climate change, tariffs, and the Iran agreement, Europe will continue to fight for a rules-based international system; work will also begin to protect European companies present in Iran that are affected by sanctions; and addressing concerns about Iran's role in the region, Iran's ballistic missile program, and what will happen after 2025.' After the announcement of the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA, the U.S. Treasury Department announced that foreign companies doing business with Iran have a maximum of six months to end their contracts with Tehran. In this context, Total France announced on Wednesday that without being exempted from U.S. sanctions, the company is unable to continue work on phase 11 of Iran's South Pars. According to Reuters, Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission, also presented options for European countries to protect their trade cooperation with Iran. A European diplomat after the Wednesday negotiations told Reuters that European leaders agreed to begin work to protect European companies that are likely to be targeted by U.S. sanctions. Reuters reports that under one of these options, European banks will be allowed to invest in Iran and provide Iranian parties with euro-based credit lines. It is said that one of the proposals on the table for Europeans in this regard is an old EU plan from the 1990s to block sanctions. However, a senior European official told Reuters that there is no quick solution to this issue and that it will take time for the EU to reach a unified strategy, and this process will be somewhat lengthy. According to the report, Miguel Arias Cañete, the EU Energy Commissioner, is set to travel to Iran on Saturday to discuss this matter with Iranian officials. In the previous meeting of the foreign ministers of Iran and three European countries, with the presence of Federica Mogherini, the EU's foreign policy chief, an agreement was reached on the status of the nuclear agreement with Iran, the JCPOA, after the U.S. withdrawal, and European experts are expected to present plans in the coming weeks to protect the interests of European companies that have trade relations with Iran. Donald Trump, the U.S. President, stated that the JCPOA 'brought neither peace nor security' and that the Islamic Republic continued to expand its ballistic missile program and 'support for terrorism' after the JCPOA. The three European countries, including France, Britain, and Germany, also emphasized the need for negotiations regarding Iran's missile program and its actions in the region, stating that they are willing to preserve the JCPOA. U.S. officials say they hope that by increasing pressure on the Islamic Republic, U.S. allies will bring Iran back to the negotiating table. Donald Trump also threatened the Islamic Republic again the day after withdrawing from the JCPOA, stating that 'Iran must either negotiate or something else will happen.' Meanwhile, Iran has so far rejected any renegotiation regarding the JCPOA.