World powers back Iran oil exports despite US sanctions threat

Iran’s remaining partners in the 2015 nuclear deal vowed on Saturday to keep the energy exporter plugged into the global economy despite the US withdrawal and sanctions threat.

Tehran’s top diplomat Mohammad Javad Zarif praised them for their “will to resist” US pressure, two months after President Donald Trump walked away from the landmark accord.

Britain, France and Germany along with Russia and China met with Iran in Vienna to offer economic benefits and assurances that would lessen the blow of sweeping US sanctions announced by Trump.

They said they remained committed to the accord and to building up trade and investment links with Iran, including “the continuation of Iran’s export of oil and gas” and other energy products.

“All the members, even the three allies, have committed and have the political will to take action and resist the United States,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Zarif told a Vienna news conference broadcast by the Fars news agency.

“This is the first time they have shown this level of commitment, but we will have to see in the future what they really want to do and what they can do,” Zarif said.

“If they continue to demonstrate the political will they showed today, they will get things done without any problem.” Iranian President Hassan Rouhani had Tuesday labelled the US push to cut Iran’s oil production to zero “a baseless fantasy” and an attempt to drive “imperialist policy in flagrant violation of international law”.

The foreign ministers today agreed on an 11-point list of joint goals in the Austrian capital, where the accord was signed with the aim of stopping Iran from building the atomic bomb in return for sanctions relief.

In the joint statement, they reconfirmed their commitment to the deal and its “economic dividends” for Iran, which has suffered worsening financial turbulence since Trump abandoned the accord.