TEHRAN – Behrooz Kamalvandi, spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), on Saturday called on European countries to take appropriate measures to counter U.S. sanctions, saying time is needed to determine if they are determined to save the Iran nuclear agreement.

Pointing to a trip to Tehran by the European Commissioner for Energy and Climate, Miguel Arias Canete, Kamalvandi told reporters that the visit conveyed a “positive message” to the international community and that the deal will survive despite U.S. pressure.

According to ISNA, he further said European countries’ measures to counter U.S. sanctions must be put into work until August 8, the day U.S. sanctions will go into force.

“Such mechanisms support European firms against America’s anti-Iran sanctions and obligates European firms to ignore extra-territorial sanctions,” he stated.

The official said the European signatories of the nuclear pact, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), are trying to provide a banking channel for financial transactions between Iran and Europe.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced his country’s withdrawal from the JCPOA on May 8 and vowed “the highest level” of economic bans on the Islamic Republic.

Tehran has threatened that if it cannot reap the benefits of the multilateral nuclear agreement if will not hesitate to remove cap on its nuclear activities.

Ali Akbar Salehi, the AEOI chief, said on Saturday that the European commissioner for energy and climate has promised that euro would be used in bilateral trade between Iran and the European Union (EU).

MH/PA