TEHRAN – Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Tuesday that the Europeans’ submissive policies toward the JCPOA have only whetted U.S. President Donald Trump’s appetite.

“Sorry to say I told you so:
When E3 sold out remnants of #JCPOA to avoid Trump tariffs last week, I warned that it would only whet his appetite,” he said in a tweet.

Sorry to say I told you so:

When E3 sold out remnants of #JCPOA to avoid Trump tariffs last week, I warned that it would only whet his appetite.

After selling their integrity and losing any moral/legal ground, ANOTHER tariff threat.

EU would do better to exert its sovereignty. pic.twitter.com/tgGwExMhdU

— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) January 22, 2020

Zarif’s comments came as Trump threatened Europe for the second time to put hefty tariffs on European cars.

According to the Washington Post, Trump renewed his threat to put hefty tariffs on European cars Tuesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, promising hardball tactics if trade negotiations do not go his way.

The Washington Post reported on January 15 that a week before Germany, France and Britain announced triggering the dispute mechanism in the 2015 nuclear deal, the Trump administration issued a private threat to the Europeans that if they refused to call out Tehran and initiate an arcane dispute mechanism in the deal, the United States would impose a 25 percent tariff on European automobiles.

In his tweet, Zarif also urged the European Union to “exert its sovereignty”.

“After selling their integrity and losing any moral/legal ground, ANOTHER tariff threat. EU would do better to exert its sovereignty,” he said.

Zarif said on January 13 that France, Germany, and the UK have bowed to “the U.S. diktat” for 20 months.

It is more than 20 months that the Trump administration has quit the nuclear deal and introduced the harshest ever sanctions in history against Iran while Europeans standing idle by. 

“For 20 months, the E3-following UK appeasement policy-has bowed to US diktat,” he tweeted.

Zarif said this policy “hasn’t gotten it anywhere-and it never will.” 

The chief diplomat added that the three European countries can save the 2015 nuclear deal “but not by appeasing the bully & pressuring the complying party.”

NA/PA