EU's top energy official is heading to Iran next week
The EU's top energy official, Commissioner Miguel Arias Canete, is heading to Iran on May 18-21 for talks on energy cooperation, a symbolic gesture from the EU that it wants to stay engaged despite the U.S. withdrawal.
In his criticism of the accord, which the other signatories Russia and China also want to uphold, Donald Trump has said it did not go far enough in restraining Iran's ability to develop nuclear weapons, while not addressing its missile program and involvement in various conflicts in the Middle East.
The EU has since sought to address some of his concerns but Trump was not convinced, and his move left the EU scrambling to salvage an accord they see as a key element of international security and a diplomatic success, as well as wondering about their future cooperation with Washington.
"It's the leaders' first face-to-face meeting since Trump's announcement. It's too early for specific decisions, they have to see where they are," said a senior EU diplomat. "We want to do this, that's for sure. But it's still in the making, we don't have all the answers yet. It will take a bit of time."
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