European leaders have denounced threats from Iran one day after Tehran announced plans to curtail curbs on its nuclear program and threatened to breach a landmark global agreement.
In response to new sanctions imposed Wednesday by the United States, President Hassan Rouhani said Iran would enrich uranium beyond allowable limits if world powers don’t protect Iran from the sanctions within 60 days.
“We reject any ultimatums and we will assess Iran’s compliance on the basis of Iran’s performance regarding its nuclear-related commitments,” the European Union and the foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany said Thursday in a joint statement.
The European leaders also said they wanted to preserve the 2015 agreement, which requires Iran to curb its nuclear program in exchange for the elimination of sanctions. The deal was signed by China, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and the U.S. The U.S. abandoned the agreement one year ago.
Despite the U.S. withdrawal, President Donald Trump introduced new sanctions Wednesday on Iranian metal exports, major sources of revenue for the western Asian country. The U.S. had previously slapped sanctions on Iranian oil, which have devastated its economy.
The sanctions have created a quandary for Washington’s European allies, which have said they share concerns about Iran’s behavior but believe Trump’s strategy will likely backfire.
The allied nations are also opposed to Trump’s abandonment of the nuclear pact, contending it emboldens Iranian hardliners and undermines pragmatists who want to ease the country’s isolationist approach.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif reacted to the European leaders, saying on Twitter their statement proves “the U.S. has bullied Europe — and rest of world — for a year and the EU can only express “regret.” Zarif added, “Instead of demanding that Iran unilaterally abide by a multilateral accord, EU should uphold obligations – incl normalization of economic ties.”
Earlier Thursday, Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization said Tehran’s goal was to bring the agreement “back on track.” But Tehran has also said it would leave the agreement, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), unless it gets more economic support.