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Europe must take more drastic measures to save Iran nuclear deal: Analyst

Friday, 08 February 2019 4:51 PM [ Last Update: Friday, 08 February 2019 4:56 PM ]

Europeans need to take more “drastic measures” to save the Iran nuclear deal, says a political analyst, adding that all their actions following the US withdrawal from the agreement have not been enough.

The comments came after Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei pointed to Europe’s package to save the Iran nuclear deal, which was recently unveiled by France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, urging Iranian officials not to trust the Europeans.

“The SPV [Special Purpose Vehicle] was not enough because it came too late, it should have been made within weeks following the American withdrawal but still you have to maintain one thin line of communication with the Europeans in this regard but still it is important to keep pressure on Europeans not to let them... do whatever they want,” Mohammad Obaid told Press TV in an interview on Friday.

“I think the Leader wanted to urge them [the Europeans] one way or another to take more serious steps in this regard because although he equaled the two – the American administration and the European countries – he did not say that one should not keep communication with the Europeans,” he added.

Back in July 2018, Ayatollah Khamenei urged officials to sit for talks with the Europeans, but not count much on their package of proposals.

The European signatories to the 2015 nuclear agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), issued a joint statement on Jan. 31, announcing the launch of a direct non-dollar payment mechanism.

The mechanism is meant to safeguard trade ties with Tehran following Washington’s withdrawal from the nuclear deal and its imposition of the "toughest ever" sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

Iran has welcomed the mechanism, called INSTEX, as "a long overdue first step," but censured Europe for setting “humiliating” conditions for its enforcement.