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- Iran goes ahead in space tech, despite US sanctions: ISA
- Resistance Front undermining Israeli regime power: Top commander
- Iran: 7 crew members of detained UK ship freed
- US addiction to sanction threaten its power: Iran’s Zarif
- Dutch role in 2007 Stuxnet attack on Iran’s nuclear site under scrutiny: Iraian FM Spox.
- Iran: ‘Sustainable Security 2019’ kicks off in Caspian Sea
- Iran’s Zarif leaves Tehran for Moscow
- Shiraz University ranked 1st in liver transplantation: Iranian health official
- Japan’s Abe to meet Iran’s president to discuss easing tension in region
- Downing of US spy drone shattered war threats against Iran: Top IRGC commander
- IAEO head reports development of first ion-therapy hospital in west of Asia
- Iranian Taekwondo team wins 2019 World Cup championship
- US sanctions failed to force Iran to buckle: Report
- Crew fixing Iran oil tanker broken down in Red Sea
- As Iranians hold nerves, US seeks to scare off trade
- Leader expresses concern about Kashmir, urges India to follow fair policy toward Muslim-majority region
- Iran saffron exports down due to smuggling, government restrictions: Exporter
- Iran FM warns US against ‘serious miscalculation’ in Persian Gulf
- Iran’s resistance policy led to release of oil tanker: MP
- Iran in reverse brain drain as top students come home in rising numbers
- Iran official calls for compensation for tanker seizure
- Iran hails N Korea for standing against ‘unilateral’ US demands
- Shia Muslims celebrate Eid Al-Ghadir
- North Korea praises Iran’s anti-US struggle
- Zarif says to meet French president Friday
- Iranian court hearing case of UK oil tanker
- Over half of Japanese voters oppose joining US-led anti-Iran coalition in Persian Gulf: Poll
- IME trade ups by 21 percent in July
- Finland backs INSTEX in defiance of US
- US anti-Iran policy in high seas harms Europeans: LA Times
- Iran, China confer on Syria
- Iran, Finland share views on Persian Gulf dialogue forum: Zarif
- Iran warns US against seizure of oil tanker
- Iraq eager to benefit from Iranian Police’s experience
- Iran planning 3rd step to reduce nuclear commitments: Spokesman
- Leader grants clemency to over 1,000 Iranian inmates
- Registration for Arbaeen Pilgrimage to begin in Iran on Friday
- Iran, Iraq agree to reopen Khosravi border crossing
- Iran deplores suicide attack at Kabul wedding hall
- Iran to hold int'l hand-woven carpets expo
- Zarif meets with Iran-Kuwait Friendship Group members
- Adrian Darya oil tanker not under any sanctions, says Iran envoy
- ‘Iran to stay in nuclear deal as long as its interests are met’
- India envoy happy with positive trend of trade with Iran
- Iran’s annual export of white meat tops 2.5m tons: Minister
- Iranian scientist discovers new state of matter
- Iran, Japan diplomats discuss bilateral ties
- Iran, Ansarullah, European representatives Yemen developments
- ‘Iran to become self-sufficient in producing aircraft engines'
- US issues seizure warrant for Iranian supertanker 'Grace 1'
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- Iran’s Zarif due in Kuwait on Saturday
- US faces humiliating defeat after Gibraltar releases Iranian tanker: Envoy
- Spokesman rejects claim on Iran’s commitment in exchange for tanker release
- Zarif reacts to release of Iranian tanker in Gibraltar
- Israel, UAE engaged in secret talks on Iran arranged by US: Report
- US threatens visa ban as Iranian-operated tanker sets to sail from Gibraltar
- Enemies must factor Iran's global power in their calculations: IRGC's chief commander
- Trump’s administration conflicting messages to Iran baffle go-betweens: Report
- Gibraltar releases Iran-operated tanker despite US pressure
There are several reasons why the EU failed to protect Tehran from American sanctions.
By Abolfazl Hashemi
Dec. 1, 2018
TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club (YJC)- Iran and the P5+1 (China, France, Russia, U.K. USA plus Germany) have negotiated for more than two years. Both sides agreed that changes were necessary. After all challenges and objections, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) or Iran nuclear deal was sealed in Vienna on July 14th, 2015. According to the JCPOA, Iran agreed to roll back parts of its nuclear program in exchange for relief from some sanctions.
But this is not the end of the story. There has been open hostility between Iran and the USA for decades. Iran’s former Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadeq was overthrown in a coup orchestrated by American intelligence agencies in 1953. After Iran’s revolution in 1979, Iran’s dictator Muhammad Reza Shah escaped to the USA and Iranian students seized the American embassy in Tehran to force the US administration to extradite the king to Iran. There has been mistrust between both countries for 40 years. Iran’s nuclear program is just a small part of the struggles between Iran and the USA.
The victory of Donald Trump in the US presidential election was a major turning point for the Iran nuclear deal. Trump said the JCPOA is a disaster and the worst deal ever. Eventually, the Trump administration withdrew from the Iran deal on May 8, 2018, and reimposed sanctions on Tehran. But this action never surprised Iran's authorities. The United States has violated many agreements already. Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said Iran remains in the JCPOA regardless of US sanctions. EU authorities promised to find a way to bypass American sanctions and alleviate the problems. But this hasn’t happened yet.
There are several reasons why the EU failed to protect Tehran from American sanctions.
1- Tight economic ties between the USA and EU:
The USA is the EU‘s biggest trade partner. America is the largest importer in the world (about 14 percent of total world imports) and it is the largest partner for EU exports of goods (15 percent of the EU’s total exports). According to the executive office of the president of the U.S, America’s goods and services trade with the EU totaled nearly $1.1 trillion in 2016. The EU countries, together, would rank 1st as an export market and as the 2nd largest supplier of imports to the United States.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed several times that Iran is complying with its commitments under the JCPOA. European leaders admitted American sanctions are illegal; however 28 members are concerned about US secondary sanctions and the loss of America’s market. Indeed, the EU can’t ignore America’s market. Trump has warned America’s trading partners that anyone who does business with Iran will not be doing business with the US. That’s not surprising that EU countries choose America. EU leaders said they have committed to the Iran deal but money is power and their economic interests will allow Brussels to turn its back on JCPOA.
2- The EU and the USA are inseparable friends:
Sometimes the EU and the USA have problems, often disagree with treaties and maybe have issues with trading, but they are a single soul inhabiting two bodies. Brussels and Washington are close allies. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is an intergovernmental military alliance between America and European countries. NATO keeps safe European countries from foreign enemies. The USA has more than 61,000 troops in the EU and has deployed thousands of military equipment in this continent. The US provides about 22% of NATO’s budget as well.
On the other hand, the EU and the USA have managed the world and intervened shoulder to shoulder in all the conflicts all over the world since World War II. Two European countries (France and the UK) and America are permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. They have almost always worked together to change the world, impose sanctions against other countries, force United Nations members to do or not to do something and make world policy by Washington as the leader. For instance, the former president of the US Barack Obama used this instrument to impose sanctions on Iran. EU helped Obama to put maximum pressure on Tehran.
the abuse of power is beneficial to both sides. The EU has more problems with Russia and has interests in the Middle East and North Africa. Brussels accepts Washington as the world major power. EU helped America and vice versa. European leaders can’t imagine a world without US leadership and all of the issues in the globe are never solved without America’s intervention. European leaders’ first policy is having a relationship with the US and they never want to sacrifice this good relationship because of Iran.
3- The EU isn’t united against US sanctions on Iran:
European countries aren’t a union in interests. Three EU’s major power (the UK, France, and Germany) signed Iran deal and try to convince Tehran to comply with JCPOA, but other EU countries don’t think likewise. For instance, the EU is trying to set up a new mechanism called “special purpose vehicle” (SPV) to bypass US sanctions and facilitate legitimate trade between European companies and Iranian ones, but none of the EU countries have accepted to be the host of this mechanism yet.
EU leaders tried to force Luxembourg and Austria to host SPV but these countries denied any attempts to circumvent US sanctions on Iran. “We never offered that an SPV should be established in Luxembourg it is a European responsibility, not a national responsibility.” Luxembourg’s foreign minister Jean Asselborn said. It’s a hilarious joke that the EU emphasizes the commitment to JCPOA and sets up a mechanism to keep trade flowing with Iran but failed to find a country to host SPV.
Conclusion
Rouhani said “Iran would proudly bypass the US sanctions”, but it isn’t as easy as it seems. Tehran needs Brussels to circumvent US sanctions and, but the EU failed as a good cop. Iranian authorities’ patience is wearing thin and Tehran warned bloc that it can withdraw JCPOA.
“EU needs to make a decision: does it want the US to dictate its relations with others when it disapproves of them? The JCPOA was in the interest of the security of Europe --it now needs to invest in that security.” Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted. Zarif declared it is impossible to “swim without getting wet”.
Indeed, it’s time for the EU to make hard choices and face consequences. The EU benefits from the Iran deal and has to pay its price. Europe will suffer from any changes in the Middle East and because of that Brussels has negotiated with Tehran about immigration crises, Syria’s and Yemen’s wars and many other issues. Iran is a major power in the Middle East and European leaders know stability in this region depends on Iran.
European leaders know Trump’s administration plans are to change the government in Iran and this is a dangerous game in the Middle East. Unlike most countries in the region, Iran’s power is interior and doesn’t depend on the world’s major power. Tehran has great influence in the region as well. Instability in Iran means instability in all over the region and that means more troubles for Europe. Maybe Brussels has to follow Washington’s policy against Tehran, but European countries are near the Middle East and may lose more in the region’s chaos than America, such as World War II.
Its EU’s choice of how to deal with Iran: choosing Trump’s policy or commitments to JCPOA and bypassing American sanctions. Trading with the USA is vital for the EU but instability in the Middle East may destroy European’s unity.
By Abolfazl Hashemi
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