Tillerson: Trump Administration Does Not Intend to Interfere in Europe's Trade Relations with Iran

The U.S. Secretary of State states that the goal of the U.S. President in presenting a new strategy regarding Iran is not to interfere with or disrupt Europe's trade relations with Tehran. Rex Tillerson made this statement on Thursday, October 19, in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. Tillerson added that Donald Trump's message in his recent speech about Iran was 'completely clear' and that Europe can maintain its trade relations with Iran. The U.S. Secretary of State further mentioned that they worked with Europeans for six months on the JCPOA agreement and have now decided to officially adopt new policies based on that agreement. His reference is to Trump's speech and the White House statement regarding the U.S. effort to block all possible pathways for Iran to obtain nuclear weapons and to adopt stricter policies towards Iran within the framework of the JCPOA. The U.S. President has repeatedly spoken about the possibility of withdrawing from the JCPOA, calling it the worst agreement that Washington has ever signed. Tillerson's remarks were made to alleviate concerns among European officials, as The Wall Street Journal claims that 'European countries believe that the U.S., by making the future of the Iran nuclear agreement and the major world powers uncertain, is deliberately trying to pressure European factories and companies to distance themselves from Iran.' Earlier this year, the White House announced that Trump had told European leaders at the G20 summit in Germany that despite the suspension of many sanctions against Iran following the nuclear agreement, they should not establish trade relations with Iran. European leaders, who attempted to dissuade the U.S. from withdrawing from the JCPOA, emphasized their full commitment to the agreement and the continuation of the suspension of sanctions until Iran fulfills its commitments. However, according to diplomats, several European leaders, including Theresa May, the Prime Minister of the UK, Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, and Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany, believe in continuing pressure on Iran due to its ballistic missile program and regional activities. Following the suspension of sanctions against Iran in January 2016, trade relations between Iran and Europe began. Many European companies, including those in the automotive and energy sectors, have entered into deals with Iran. Others have started investing in Iran or resumed their exports to Iran, with the volume of trade between Europe and Iran doubling and reported at $16 billion last year. However, the report states that efforts to rebuild old trade relations with Iran have not been initiated by all countries and businesses; many major European banks are reluctant to re-establish trade relations with Iran due to multi-million dollar fines imposed by the U.S. for violating sanctions against Iran. European officials are searching for options to protect their companies from current or new U.S. sanctions against Iran. Tillerson also mentioned that the U.S. has decided to address the fate of Boeing's multi-billion dollar transactions with Iran. This company, as the first major American company to engage in a deal with Iran, has agreed to sell dozens of commercial aircraft to Tehran. According to the U.S. Secretary of State, many businesses in the U.S. are unable to conduct trade with Iran because the suspended sanctions do not include the type of business activities they engage in, but Mr. Trump is nonetheless unwilling to 'interfere' in commercial matters.