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Bolton: US sanctions 'possible' on European firms over Iran

May 13, 2018 22:30·
Chip Somodevilla Getty

Chip Somodevilla Getty

"That's not the impression now", Bolton said.

White House national security adviser John Bolton said Sunday that "it's possible" there will be secondary sanctions imposed on European companies as a result of the United States withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal.

Asked if Washington was now advocating for regime change in Iran, Bolton responded that it was not administration policy.

Speaking on "Fox News Sunday", Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said withdrawing from the 2015 accord wasn't aimed at Europeans, but he didn't rule out the US imposing sanctions on entities that continue to do business with Iran, even as efforts continue to strike a new deal.

Trump has repeatedly said that he wants a "better" deal with Iran on the nuclear issue.

Although the deal's other members emphasized their commitment to remaining in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the USA threatened to impose sanctions on any companies enabling Iran by doing business with the country.

The E.U. was Iran's largest trade partner until 2012, when the Obama administration cobbled together a massive global sanctions regime on the Islamic Republic ― even bringing along China and Russian Federation ― to force it to make concessions on the nuclear issue.

The other countries involved in the deal remain in the accord despite Trump's decision.

Since the deal went into effect in 2016, lifting some sanctions in exchange for Iran opening up its nuclear facilities for inspections and accepting limits on its enrichment of uranium, Europe-Iran trade has mushroomed and companies based in the European Union have signed deals worth billions of dollars with Tehran.

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"I think the Europeans, we'll see, but it's ultimately in their interest to come along", Bolton said Sunday. But Bolton left open the possibility that if they do not, the USA might sanction foreign corporations that continue to do business with Iran.

Echoing Trump's perspective on the deal, Bolton said that the agreement was flawed.

"I don't know how to explain why people could miss what the president was saying", Bolton said.

But allies' increasing skepticism of any commitments by Trump and the way the weakening of the deal helps hard-liners in the Iranian government make it hard to imagine successful negotiations. "I think that will sink in, and we'll see what happens then".

Part of the flaw with the Iran deal that President Donald Trump rejected was it enticed Europe and the US into economic relations with Iran that would work against holding the country accountable for violations of the agreement, Bolton said.

And regardless of Bolton's tough line on potential sanctions, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo suggested there was hope for a new nuclear deal with Iran that could "protect the world".

We are gonna work with all of the Europeans. "The U.S.is essentially, at least as of now, going it alone".

"My mission that I've been given by President Trump is to work to strike a deal that achieves the outcomes that protect America", he said. We are going to work to stop that, he said. "Indeed, I would argue that they thought they could act with impunity", he said.

"The sanctions regime that is in place now is very clear on what the requirements are", Pompeo said on Fox News Sunday.

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