Europe hosting high-level meeting to rescue Iran nuclear deal

Europe hosting high-level meeting to rescue Iran nuclear deal
Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, has demanded Europe provide a number of economic guarantees in order for Tehran to continue its commitment.

3 min read
03 July, 2018
The European tour is part of broader diplomatic effort by Tehran to rally support [Getty]
The foreign ministers of Iran and five other countries still signatories to the nuclear deal with Tehran will meet in Vienna on Friday to discuss how to keep the accord following the withdrawal of the US.

"At the meeting, which will be held at the request of Iran, foreign ministers of Iran and five world powers will discuss a proposed European package and measures to protect the agreement," Iranian state news agency IRNA reported on Tuesday.

President Hassan Rouhani arrived in Switzerland on Monday as part of a trip to Europe billed as of "prime importance" after the US pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers.

Rouhani was set to visit Switzerland and Austria as part of Tehran's ongoing efforts to secure Europe's continued support for the landmark agreement.

On Tuesday, Rouhani warned that regional oil supply could be jeopardised if the US manages to get its allies to stop buying Tehran's oil.

Rouhani spoke to Iranian expatriates in Switzerland during his visit there on Monday, with the president vowing action if the US curbs or cuts Iranian oil exports.

Rouhani didn't elaborate on the comments, but when pressured in the past Iran has threatened to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz though which one third of the world's oil supply passes.

Iran is OPEC's second-largest crude exporter with more than two million barrels a day.

After the US pulled out of the nuclear deal with Iran, Washington has been pushing allies to cut oil imports from Iran altogether by November.

The US State Department said on Monday that it remains determined to force Iran to change its behaviour by cutting its oil exports "to zero".

The efforts in Europe come nearly two months after US President Donald Trump unilaterally pulled out of the agreement, to the ire of the other signatories - China, France, Germany, Britain and Russia - which along with the European Union have continued to back the accord. 

On Sunday, Austria took over the European Union's six-month rotating presidency, while Switzerland represents US interests in Iran owing to the absence of diplomatic relations between Washington and Tehran.

Vienna, where the deal was signed, is also the home of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, which monitors Iran's compliance with the accord.

The nuclear deal has been the cornerstone of Rouhani's policy of greater openness with the West, and the US departure has seen him severely criticised by ultra-conservatives at home. 

The European tour is part of a broader diplomatic effort by Tehran to rally support in the wake of Trump's May 8 withdrawal from the deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, has demanded Europe provide a number of economic guarantees in order for Tehran to continue its commitment. 

Increasing the pressure on Iran's European partners, he ordered preparations be made to quickly restart nuclear activities in case talks collapse.

With input from agencies