European Union Emphasizes Continued Commitment to Nuclear Agreement with Iran

One day after Mike Pence, the U.S. Vice President, urged European countries to withdraw from the nuclear agreement with Iran, known as the JCPOA, European officials on Friday, February 15, emphasized their commitment to the agreement. Federica Mogherini, the EU's foreign policy chief, stated at the Munich Security Conference: 'I believe that if it weren't for the efforts of the European Union and its members, especially France, Germany, and the UK, the nuclear agreement with Iran would have collapsed long ago.' She added that they believe the nuclear agreement with Iran is vital and essential for their security. Mogherini reiterated the EU's commitment to the nuclear agreement with Iran. Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with Federica Mogherini in Brussels on Friday. The previous day, Mike Pence accused America's European allies of trying to undermine sanctions against Iran. According to Reuters, the meeting between Mike Pompeo and Federica Mogherini was scheduled before Pence's harsh criticism of Europeans at the Warsaw Conference. Mogherini, who played a significant role in the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers, welcomed Pompeo at the EU headquarters but did not respond to questions regarding Pence's remarks. Robert Palladino, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, stated that during the one-hour friendly and constructive meeting, Pence's comments were not discussed. He added that the two sides did not talk about the nuclear agreement with Iran, although the destabilizing actions of the Iranian government and the need to counter them were raised. The U.S. State Department spokesperson issued a separate statement saying the two sides agreed on the necessity of closer cooperation to restore democracy in Venezuela. He noted that the meeting also discussed ending wars in Syria, Afghanistan, and Ukraine, as well as the upcoming summit of U.S. and North Korean leaders. EU foreign policy spokespersons have not yet commented on the U.S. State Department spokesperson's statement. Reuters adds that Pence's harsh remarks regarding Germany, France, and the UK at the Warsaw Conference reflect the U.S. strategy for further isolating Iran, which is likely to cool relations between Washington and European powers. In May, the U.S. government withdrew from the nuclear agreement with Iran (JCPOA), and a few months later, nuclear sanctions against Iran were resumed. Federica Mogherini stated on Thursday, before Pence's remarks were made public at NATO headquarters, that the U.S. and the EU have 'different views' on the JCPOA and that preserving this agreement is very important for Europe's security as it prevents the development of nuclear weapons by Iran. European powers say they agree with U.S. concerns about Iran's involvement in the wars in Syria and Yemen, but they believe that withdrawing from the JCPOA was a mistake and have committed to maintaining the agreement as long as Iran remains faithful to its obligations. However, in practice, most European companies have halted investment and activities in Iran in compliance with U.S. sanctions. France, Germany, and the UK have recently approved a special financial mechanism to avoid U.S. sanctions in trading with Iran.