Sigmar Gabriel: Germany Will Strive to Preserve the Nuclear Agreement with Iran

The German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel stated on Thursday, September 30, that regardless of the results of the general elections in Germany in September, the country will do everything in its power to prevent the U.S. government from withdrawing from the nuclear agreement with Iran. According to Reuters, Gabriel said in a press conference that any U.S. action to annul the nuclear agreement or impose new sanctions against Iran would discourage countries like North Korea from engaging in dialogue to end their nuclear programs. Speaking on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, he mentioned that Germany, in cooperation with the European Union, the UK, and France, and where possible with China and Russia, would pressure the U.S. to maintain this agreement. It is expected that the Christian Democratic Union led by Angela Merkel will win the general elections in Germany, but it is still unclear whether Gabriel's Social Democratic Party will be part of the future coalition government. He emphasized that the German government, regardless of the future composition of its parties, will maintain its position regarding the nuclear agreement with Iran. Donald Trump, the President of the United States, has described the nuclear agreement with Iran as 'a disgrace,' but Germany and other signatories of this agreement are concerned that its annulment could lead to an arms race in the region. Trump must announce his opinion on Iran's compliance with this agreement by October 15. If he does not confirm this, the U.S. Congress will have 60 days to decide on the imposition of sanctions against Iran as outlined in this agreement. Gabriel added, 'We will all try in the remaining weeks to convince the U.S. that questioning an agreement will not mean increased security.' The U.S. government announced on Wednesday that it is reviewing whether the nuclear agreement with Iran aligns with its security interests. Iran has also stated that it is unlikely the U.S. will abandon this agreement. Gabriel said Germany must consider whether it can remain committed to this agreement even if the U.S. withdraws, although such a scenario would be difficult as the U.S. would impose sanctions against Iran immediately upon withdrawal. He stated that Iran has been faithful to its commitments, but international companies and financial institutions hesitate to trade and invest in Iran for fear of potential renewed U.S. sanctions. The German Foreign Minister added that questioning the only global agreement to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons is a 'disaster.' In Berlin, the German Minister of Economy stated that Germany, as one of Iran's important trading partners, has 'significant interests' in preserving the nuclear agreement with that country. In the first half of 2017, Germany's exports to Iran increased by about 23% to 1.4 billion euros. Gabriel acknowledged Germany's position that the Iranian government's behavior in the Middle East has not improved since the nuclear agreement, but there is no hope that it will improve after the annulment of this agreement. He added that the annulment of this agreement would send a 'bad message' for other diplomatic actions, and 'if the only example of such agreements collapses, then what can encourage North Korea and others to negotiate?'