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Europeans Call on Iran to ‘Act Responsibly,’ Comply With Deal

Europeans Call on Iran to ‘Act Responsibly,’ Comply With Deal

(Bloomberg) -- France, Germany and the U.K. called on Iran to “act responsibly” and fully comply with commitments made in a 2015 international nuclear agreement amid rising tensions in the Persian Gulf.

The trio of nations, which all signed the 2015 deal, said they continue to support the accord in a statement emailed by French President Emmanuel Macron’s office. Still, they said Iranian actions were beginning to undermine the agreement, which has already been disowned by U.S. President Donald Trump.

The accord’s “continuation depends on Iran’s full compliance with its obligations,” the European trio said. “We believe that the time has come to act responsibly and to seek ways to stop the escalation of tensions and resume dialog.”

European nations have sought to preserve the Iran accord, amid U.S. opposition and heightened friction including a standoff last week involving the U.K. navy. A French envoy visited Iran in an attempt to convince the Islamic Republic to reverse steps taken in breach of the nuclear deal.

“Our countries have recently taken several diplomatic initiatives to contribute to de-escalation and dialog, for which signs of goodwill are urgently needed from all parties,” the European trio said. “The risks are such that it is necessary for all stakeholders to pause, and consider the possible consequences of their actions”

Iran decided to ramp up uranium enrichment after the U.S. exited the agreement last year and re-imposed crippling economic sanctions. This is prompting a debate over whether the U.S. should -- or even can -- invoke a threat that negotiators built into the 2015 nuclear agreement but hoped would never be used: a “snapback” of international sanctions.

To contact the reporter on this story: Helene Fouquet in Paris at hfouquet1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Andrew Davis at abdavis@bloomberg.net, Neil Denslow, Tony Czuczka

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