New US sanctions against Iran could affect Europe
The introduction of new anti-Iranian sanctions by the United States is a violation of the 2015 nuclear agreement, the Iranian Foreign Ministry declared, adding that Iran is preparing a "proportionate" response.
Some experts believe fresh US sanctions against Iran will also affect the European Union, as Iran once again became a major energy supplier to European countries after economic restrictions against it were lifted two years ago under the deal.
Semyon Baghdasarov, director of the Center for Middle East and Central Asia Studies, said in a recent interview with RT that the introduction of new sanctions against Iran will have negative consequences for many EU countries.
"For Europeans, it will be painful. They are one of the main consumers of Iranian hydrocarbons. They view the Iranian market as an area of their investments and now they are running against a big 'stop' sign. Therefore, of course, they are reacting negatively to anti-Iranian restrictions," he said.
Karine Gevorgyan, a political observer, also told RT that Europe is not interested in anti-Iran sanctions. She noted that even Britain, the closest ally of the US, is skeptical of the latest US initiatives.
"Given the unpredictability of US foreign policy, Britain is likely to reconsider its attitude toward relations with the US. And this means a lot. Europe does not support the US sanctions policy, since it's not profitable for the EU countries.
There are European plants on Iranian soil. Many European companies that have long worked with Iran are very interested in mutual cooperation and do not want to hand this market over to Americans," she said.
On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump signed into law a new batch of sanctions on Pyongyang, Tehran and Moscow.
The pretext for the introduction of new anti-Iran sanctions was Tehran's pursuit of its missile capability to boost its defense power in a region surrounded by hostile countries.
The US claims Tehran's missile activities contravene UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which endorses the nuclear deal.
The resolution "calls on" Iran to refrain from undertaking any activity relevant to missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear warheads, an objective Tehran says it has never pursued.
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