European think tank urges EU to safeguard nuclear deal

In a report released on Wednesday, European Council on Foreign Relations said that 'European countries and the EU should further nurture the channels they have developed with the Iranian leadership to help counterbalance the impact of Donald Trump’s polarizing narratives on regional developments.'

Elaborating on the European countries' stance on JCPOA, the report said, 'They take a strikingly different approach from the Trump administration in dealing with Iran. They consistently voice unanimous support for the JCPOA and broadly favor similar multilateral engagement to address outstanding areas of grievance with Iran. European leaders have warned that ditching the nuclear deal, as Trump has threatened to do, would make it much harder to resolve other disagreements with Iran.'

It said that 'Europe should not only try to preserve the nuclear deal with Iran, it should also make contingency plans to salvage the relationship with Iran if the US defects. This includes taking measures to protect European banks and companies from US secondary sanctions.'

'In the meantime, however, European governments need to demonstrate that the current diplomatic track can lead to progress on the issues of concern with Iran,' the European think tank report added in a reference to Iran's role in the region and its defensive capabilities.

It said that 'European capitals will need to maintain constructive channels with both Tehran and Washington, and resist pressure from the US to once again isolate Iran.'

Translator: Hamdollah Emadi Heydari

Editor: Hamid Shamlou

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