SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Activists participate in a protest in front of the White House October 12, 2017 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images)
As Critics Warn Trump Sanctions Could Spark 'New War in Middle East,' EU Vows to Uphold Iran Nuclear Deal
The National Iranian American Council denounced the U.S. president's move to impose new sanctions on Iran as "a dangerous gambit that pits the U.S. in opposition to the rest of the world."
Aug 06, 2018
With new economic sanctions against Iran by the Trump administration about to go into effect as part of its ongoing effort to undermine international diplomacy and "foment unrest" in the country--a campaign critics say heightens the risk of "a new war in the Middle East"--the European Union (EU) on Monday issued an unequivocal joint statement denouncing the sanctions and reaffirming its commitment to upholding the Iran nuclear accord, which U.S. President Donald Trump violated in May.
"Preserving the nuclear deal with Iran is a matter of respecting international agreements and a matter of international security."
--European Union
Calling the Iran deal--officially titled the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)--a "key element of the global nuclear non-proliferation architecture," the EU declared, "Preserving the nuclear deal with Iran is a matter of respecting international agreements and a matter of international security."
"The JCPOA is working and delivering on its goal, namely to ensure that the Iranian program remains exclusively peaceful, as confirmed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 11 consecutive reports," the joint statement reads. "The lifting of nuclear-related sanctions is an essential part of the deal--it aims at having a positive impact not only on trade and economic relations with Iran, but most importantly on the lives of the Iranian people."
In addition to its statement opposing the Trump administration's sanctions--which are just the first wave of penalties the U.S. is expected to unveil in the coming months--the EU announced that it will be enforcing a so-called Blocking Statute aimed at nullifying the effects of Trump's sanctions on European countries engaged in "legitimate business" with Iran.
"Considering the dramatic consequences for U.S. national security and foreign policy interests, the Trump administration should not be given free reign to plunge the United States into a confrontation with its closest allies and partners."
--National Iranian American Council
In a memo outlining the implications of Trump's unilateral sanctions, which are set to officially go into effect at midnight on Monday, the National Iranian American Council (NIAC) on Monday said the move to reimpose trade penalties on Iran is "a dangerous gambit that pits the U.S. in opposition to the rest of the world--including the U.S.'s closest partners and allies--and risks re-invigorating nuclear proliferation efforts in Iran."
Iranian officials have repeatedly stated that they have no intention of pursuing nukes, even if Europe and Iran's efforts to uphold the nuclear accord fail.
"Considering the dramatic consequences for U.S. national security and foreign policy interests," NIAC concluded, "the Trump administration should not be given free reign to plunge the United States into a confrontation with its closest allies and partners. In this case, Congress should assert its own prerogatives in the realm of foreign policy and resume U.S. compliance with the JCPOA, including, but not limited to, the continued lifting of U.S. sanctions as obligated under the nuclear accord."
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
With new economic sanctions against Iran by the Trump administration about to go into effect as part of its ongoing effort to undermine international diplomacy and "foment unrest" in the country--a campaign critics say heightens the risk of "a new war in the Middle East"--the European Union (EU) on Monday issued an unequivocal joint statement denouncing the sanctions and reaffirming its commitment to upholding the Iran nuclear accord, which U.S. President Donald Trump violated in May.
"Preserving the nuclear deal with Iran is a matter of respecting international agreements and a matter of international security."
--European Union
Calling the Iran deal--officially titled the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)--a "key element of the global nuclear non-proliferation architecture," the EU declared, "Preserving the nuclear deal with Iran is a matter of respecting international agreements and a matter of international security."
"The JCPOA is working and delivering on its goal, namely to ensure that the Iranian program remains exclusively peaceful, as confirmed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 11 consecutive reports," the joint statement reads. "The lifting of nuclear-related sanctions is an essential part of the deal--it aims at having a positive impact not only on trade and economic relations with Iran, but most importantly on the lives of the Iranian people."
In addition to its statement opposing the Trump administration's sanctions--which are just the first wave of penalties the U.S. is expected to unveil in the coming months--the EU announced that it will be enforcing a so-called Blocking Statute aimed at nullifying the effects of Trump's sanctions on European countries engaged in "legitimate business" with Iran.
"Considering the dramatic consequences for U.S. national security and foreign policy interests, the Trump administration should not be given free reign to plunge the United States into a confrontation with its closest allies and partners."
--National Iranian American Council
In a memo outlining the implications of Trump's unilateral sanctions, which are set to officially go into effect at midnight on Monday, the National Iranian American Council (NIAC) on Monday said the move to reimpose trade penalties on Iran is "a dangerous gambit that pits the U.S. in opposition to the rest of the world--including the U.S.'s closest partners and allies--and risks re-invigorating nuclear proliferation efforts in Iran."
Iranian officials have repeatedly stated that they have no intention of pursuing nukes, even if Europe and Iran's efforts to uphold the nuclear accord fail.
"Considering the dramatic consequences for U.S. national security and foreign policy interests," NIAC concluded, "the Trump administration should not be given free reign to plunge the United States into a confrontation with its closest allies and partners. In this case, Congress should assert its own prerogatives in the realm of foreign policy and resume U.S. compliance with the JCPOA, including, but not limited to, the continued lifting of U.S. sanctions as obligated under the nuclear accord."
With new economic sanctions against Iran by the Trump administration about to go into effect as part of its ongoing effort to undermine international diplomacy and "foment unrest" in the country--a campaign critics say heightens the risk of "a new war in the Middle East"--the European Union (EU) on Monday issued an unequivocal joint statement denouncing the sanctions and reaffirming its commitment to upholding the Iran nuclear accord, which U.S. President Donald Trump violated in May.
"Preserving the nuclear deal with Iran is a matter of respecting international agreements and a matter of international security."
--European Union
Calling the Iran deal--officially titled the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)--a "key element of the global nuclear non-proliferation architecture," the EU declared, "Preserving the nuclear deal with Iran is a matter of respecting international agreements and a matter of international security."
"The JCPOA is working and delivering on its goal, namely to ensure that the Iranian program remains exclusively peaceful, as confirmed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 11 consecutive reports," the joint statement reads. "The lifting of nuclear-related sanctions is an essential part of the deal--it aims at having a positive impact not only on trade and economic relations with Iran, but most importantly on the lives of the Iranian people."
In addition to its statement opposing the Trump administration's sanctions--which are just the first wave of penalties the U.S. is expected to unveil in the coming months--the EU announced that it will be enforcing a so-called Blocking Statute aimed at nullifying the effects of Trump's sanctions on European countries engaged in "legitimate business" with Iran.
"Considering the dramatic consequences for U.S. national security and foreign policy interests, the Trump administration should not be given free reign to plunge the United States into a confrontation with its closest allies and partners."
--National Iranian American Council
In a memo outlining the implications of Trump's unilateral sanctions, which are set to officially go into effect at midnight on Monday, the National Iranian American Council (NIAC) on Monday said the move to reimpose trade penalties on Iran is "a dangerous gambit that pits the U.S. in opposition to the rest of the world--including the U.S.'s closest partners and allies--and risks re-invigorating nuclear proliferation efforts in Iran."
Iranian officials have repeatedly stated that they have no intention of pursuing nukes, even if Europe and Iran's efforts to uphold the nuclear accord fail.
"Considering the dramatic consequences for U.S. national security and foreign policy interests," NIAC concluded, "the Trump administration should not be given free reign to plunge the United States into a confrontation with its closest allies and partners. In this case, Congress should assert its own prerogatives in the realm of foreign policy and resume U.S. compliance with the JCPOA, including, but not limited to, the continued lifting of U.S. sanctions as obligated under the nuclear accord."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.