Citing European sources, the Washington Post reveals on Wednesday January 15 that the Trump administration has threatened to tax European car imports by 25% if France, the United Kingdom and Germany refuse to use the Iran's nuclear program agreement dispute resolution mechanism.
A week later, the three European signatories to the agreement announced their intention to start this procedure, which could lead to the reinstatement of UN sanctions, in addition to the American sanctions already in force. The procedure is provided for by the 2015 Vienna Agreement and can be applied in the event of breach of commitments.
One of the sources cited by the Washington Post equates Washington's gesture with "extortion".
Nothing says, however, that blackmail was necessary since the Europeans had signaled for several weeks their intention to trigger the dispute settlement mechanism, notes the American daily.
European pressure on Iran
On January 5, Tehran announced the "fifth and final phase" of its plan to reduce its nuclear commitments, in response to the exit from the United States of the agreement in 2018 and the reinstatement of heavy American sanctions that strangle its economy.
"We have no other choice, given the measures taken by Iran," French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and his British and German counterparts, Dominic Raab and Heiko Maas, announced on Tuesday. a joint press release.
"Our three countries are not joining the campaign to exert maximum pressure against Iran," said the three ministers, however, in reference to the United States' sanctions policy.
The Iranian reaction was however threatening: "If the Europeans [...] seek to abuse [this process], they must also be ready to accept the consequences, which have already been notified to them," assured Iranian diplomacy. in a press release.
With AFP
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