TEHRAN - Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Monday that the Europeans are not still able to announce the so-called special purpose vehicle (SPV) because of the U.S. pressure.

SPV is a European Union’s initiative intended to protect trade with Iran against newly reimposed U.S. sanctions.

“The U.S. exerts pressure to prevent formation of the SPV and to cut cooperation between Iran and Europe,” the senior diplomat said during a speech at Allameh Tabataba’i University.

He noted that no European country has so far accepted to host the SPV for fear of U.S. punishment.

“The Europeans negotiated with Austria for 20 days and the country did not accept. Luxembourgish heads have said that they have not talked about the issue. Even if they talk, they will not accept the mechanisms and in this situation, Europe is unable to announce the SPV,” he stated.

‘Six months have been enough time for Europeans to prepare mechanism to trade with Iran’

Araqchi went on to say that six months have passed since the U.S. unilaterally withdrew from the 2015 nuclear agreement but since that time Europeans have not been able to find a practical way to save the agreement.

However, he said, the Europeans have adopted a good political position in this regard.

France, Germany, Britain and the European Union issued a joint statement on November 2 condemning the U.S. move in reimposing sanctions on Iran and vowed to protect European companies doing “legitimate” business with Tehran.

The statement read that Europe will also seek to “maintain financial channels operational with Iran and to ensure the continuation of Iranian oil and gas exports”.

“The Europeans should keep the JCPOA and be ready to pay the price,” Araqchi says.
Araqchi said, “The European countries and remaining members to the JCPOA [the official name for the nuclear agreement] have the consensus to keep the agreement, but the current situation cannot continue. In this situation, the Europeans should keep the JCPOA and be ready to pay the price. In fact, if they think that the JCPOA is important for their sovereignty, they should be ready to pay the price.”

He noted that Europe will be discredited if it does not counter the U.S. unilateralism.

“Europe should not forget that the JCPOA is a security deal and not just an economic one. Europe can give it a try if it thinks that West Asia is safer without the JCPOA,” the top diplomat warns.
“Europe should not forget that the JCPOA is a security deal and not just an economic one. Europe can give it a try if it thinks that West Asia is safer without the JCPOA,” the top diplomat warned.

‘Iran will not give in to sanctions’

Araqchi also said that Iran will not give in to the U.S. sanctions and pressure.

“Nobody in Iran will raise hands [in surrender] because of sanctions,” he asserted. 

The U.S. re-imposed the first round of sanctions on August 6 and the second round, which targets Iran’s oil exports and banks, were snapped back on November 4.

President Hassan Rouhani also told a large group of people in West Azarbaijan Province that Iran will not submit to the United States’ economic and psychological pressure.

NA/PA