US National Security Advisor John Bolton has warned that the US could sanction European companies that continue to trade with Iran after Donald Trump’s unilateral withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal.
“I think the Europeans will see that it’s in their interests to come along with us,” Bolton told CNN’s State of the Union.
When asked if Trump would sanction EU firms for continuing to deal with Iran, Bolton said: ”It’s possible. It depends on the conduct of other governments.”
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Meanwhile, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he remained hopeful that Washington and its allies could strike a new nuclear deal with Tehran.
RT reports: Bolton suggested that US sanctions could put pressure on the EU to pull out of the agreement as well. “I think the Europeans will see that it’s in their interest ultimately to come along with us…I think that will sink in, and we’ll see what happens then,” he said.
Trump announced his decision to withdraw from the Iran Nuclear agreement on May 8, almost three years after the deal, formally called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was agreed.The US president also confirmed the US would re-impose sanctions against Iran – decisions that broke from European allies and put the Middle East at risk of a potential crisis.
Iran heavily criticized Trump’s decision, claiming that the US never kept to its international obligations under the deal. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani described the White House move as “psychological warfare,” adding that it was a war the US would not win.
France, Germany and the UK issued a joint statement expressing regret over the US decision and reiterating their continuing commitment to the deal.
Meanwhile Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Fox News Sunday that he is optimistic a new Iran deal can be negotiated with European allies, saying: “I am hopeful in the days and weeks ahead we can come up with a deal that really works, that really protects the world from Iranian bad behavior.”
