Iran's Khamenei warns against trusting Europe on nuclear deal

Ali Khamenei advised the government last July not to rely on European efforts to protect Tehran against US sanctions, months after Washington withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal.

MENA

2 min read

The New Arab

04 March, 2019

Khamenei's website released his speech nine months after his meeting with the cabinet [Anadolu]

Iran's supreme leader cautioned the country's government last July not to pin its hopes on Europe, after the US withdrew from the nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions on the Islamic Republic, it emerged on Monday.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's website released his speech nine months after his meeting with the cabinet, in which he said the landmark 2015 nuclear deal "could not fix our economic problems".

The Europeans may say they are protecting Iranian interests with their package "but (the Iranian government) should not make this a main issue", Khamenei was quoted as saying.

"(The Europeans) are bad. They are really bad. I have a lot to say about the Europeans; not because of their current policies, but their mischievous nature in the last few centuries," Khamenei said.

"Do not tie the Iranian economy to something that is out of our control," he added.

Khamenei's comments come as the UN nuclear watchdog was expected to again announce that Iran is complying with the nuclear deal, which saw it limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.

The US and the European Union disagree over several issues, including Iran.

President Donald Trump pulled America out of the nuclear deal last year and reimposed US sanctions to pressure Tehran.

Recently, France, Germany and Britain created a special trading arrangement to circumvent US sanctions.

Agencies contributed to this report.

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