US Ambassador in Germany: We Expect Our Allies to Bring Iran Back to the Negotiating Table

The new US ambassador to Germany said in an interview on Saturday that he does not expect new sanctions on Tehran to lead to an 'economic war' between the US and Europe, and expressed hope that US allies would bring Iran back to the negotiating table. This demand echoes Donald Trump's threats against the Islamic Republic made one day after the US withdrew from the JCPOA, stating that 'Iran must negotiate or something else will happen.' According to Reuters, Richard Grenell claimed in a conversation with the Funke newspaper group, published on Sunday, that the United States has 'evidence' indicating that Tehran has not adhered to its commitment to refrain from uranium enrichment. This claim comes at a time when the International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly confirmed Iran's compliance with the nuclear agreement known as the JCPOA over the past two years. However, Trump and other officials in his administration insist that the JCPOA has not achieved its intended goals and has not effectively controlled the Islamic Republic. It was with this reasoning that the US President officially announced his administration's withdrawal from the JCPOA last Tuesday and revealed plans for new sanctions against Tehran. In this context, John Bolton, Trump's national security advisor, had previously emphasized in discussions with reporters that the JCPOA, in its current form, has 'fundamental flaws' and does not prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear bomb. However, Richard Grenell's interview on Saturday focused more on the issue of new sanctions against the Islamic Republic, which could adversely affect European countries and jeopardize the positions of European companies. Following the announcement of the US withdrawal from the JCPOA, the Trump administration warned European companies that they had a maximum of six months to terminate their contracts with Tehran. Immediately after this news broke, Grenell, who officially began his role as ambassador in Germany on Tuesday, tweeted this warning to German companies, a message that stirred controversy in the country and forced Grenell to clarify his position. Trump's economic warning, however, elicited negative reactions from European governments, including France, whose finance minister sharply criticized the US last Friday, stating that European countries should not act like 'vassals' of the United States. A day before the French finance minister's remarks, the country's foreign minister had also criticized the US for reinstating sanctions on Iran. Following these comments, a report emerged shortly thereafter indicating that France, along with several other European countries, plans to present proposals to the European Commission to defend their economic interests. In response to these developments, the new US ambassador to Germany stated that the current disagreement 'will not lead to an economic war' and that Trump is merely seeking 'a level playing field.' According to Grenell, the Trump administration is awaiting proposals from Europeans to mitigate the negative impact of sanctions on foreign companies. Reuters reports that he also reiterated Trump's position that Europe should once again impose sanctions on Tehran, similar to the US. However, as reported on Friday, Europeans are working on three specific proposals, one of which involves updating the European blocking statute established in 1996, which allows for countering extraterritorial sanctions. This regulation, originally enacted to circumvent Cuba sanctions, enables European companies and courts to disregard sanctions imposed by third countries and stipulates that rulings issued by non-European courts will not be enforced within the EU.