- Title: Germany slams renewed US sanctions on Iran, says will continue to trade
- Date: 6th November 2018
- Summary: BERLIN, GERMANY (NOVEMBER 6, 2018) (REUTERS) GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER HEIKO MAAS AND SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE THORBJORN JAGLAND ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE CAMERA (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER, HEIKO MAAS, SAYING (ABOUT U.S. REIMPOSING SANCTIONS ON IRAN): "We consider this step wrong. We have said this repeatedly in the past weeks and months. We in the European Union agree on this. Above all, Germany agrees with our friends in France and Britain, and within the European Union we are working with new instruments like the Special Purpose Vehicle to make sure trade continues with Iran. Because we are firmly convinced that the agreement we reached (2015 Iran nuclear accord) prevents Iran from to pursue uranium enrichment for military purposes." MAAS'S HANDS MAAS SPEAKING (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER, HEIKO MAAS, SAYING: "Therefore we are not joining the U.S. on this path. In response to the sanctions which are in place from this week onwards, we are working to ensure that the Iranian economy does not completely collapse, which would lead to destabilisation and in our view boost radical forces." FOREIGN MINISTRY SIGN MAAS AND JAGLAND LEAVING
- Embargoed: 20th November 2018 12:07
- Keywords: Heiko Maas sanctions Iran trade EU
- Location: BERLIN, GERMANY
- City: BERLIN, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA00195DBQKN
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Germany on Tuesday (November 6) slammed renewed U.S. sanctions on Iran and said Germany was working with EU partners to ensure that trade continued with Tehran.
Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told reporters in Berlin that a collapsing Iranian economy would boost "radical forces", and that Germany wanted to make sure this did not happen.
His comments came a day after Washington restored sanctions targeting Iran's oil, banking and transportation sectors and threatened more action to stop its "outlaw" policies, steps the Islamic Republic called economic warfare and vowed to defy.
The return of the sanctions was triggered by US President Donald Trump's May 8 decision to abandon the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, negotiated with five other world powers during Democratic President Barack Obama's administration.
That agreement had removed many U.S. and other economic sanctions from Iran in return for Tehran's commitment to curtail its nuclear program. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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