Israel 'sues' European Union for trying to salvage Iran nuclear deal

An Israeli organisation has started a legal case in a bid to stop a mechanism set up by the EU designed to dodge US sanctions on Iran and salvage the nuclear deal.

Shurat Hadin Israel Law Center, an NGO dedicated to representing victims of terrorism, will file on behalf of two families a lawsuit against the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX), Israeli daily newspaper Israel Hayom reported on Monday.

INSTEX, which was launched in January and became operational on 28 June, was set up by Germany, France and Britain to help Iran bypass sanctions.

The plaintiffs are all of Israeli and American origin who claim their relatives were victims of attacks funded by Iran.

The families will file a lawsuit in the Court of Sessions in France, demanding all Iranian money and assets to be paid as compensation to the alleged victims of terror as part of the enforcement of the American courts' ruling.

In 2018, Washington pulled out of a landmark nuclear deal signed in 2015 with Iran, to the dismay of its European allies who also signed the accord, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Regional tensions have spiked a year after the Trump administration unilaterally withdrew from the deal with world powers. The US has since re-imposed harsh sanctions on Tehran's oil exports, exacerbating an economic crisis that's sent its currency plummeting.

Angered that its beleaguered economy is not receiving sanctions relief it believes was promised under the deal, Iran has intensified its sensitive uranium enrichment work, prompting stern warnings from US.

Earlier on Sunday, the leaders of UK, France and Germany called for an end to "the escalation of tensions" in the region.

Meanwhile, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said on Monday his country is ready to negotiate with the United States if Washington lifts its economic sanctions.

Follow us on Twitter: @The_NewArab