11 May,2018 07:05 AM IST | Paris | Agencies
Iranians shout anti-US slogans during a demonstration in Tehran. Pics/AFP and AP
France's finance minister says European countries should push back harder against the Trump administration over the Iran nuclear deal and not act as "vassals" to the US.
Bruno Le Maire said yesterday on Europe-1 radio that Europe should not accept that the US is the "world's economic policeman." He wants European companies to be able to continue trade with Iran despite US President Donald Trump's decision this week to re-impose sanctions. Le Maire proposed creating a European body that would have the same kind of powers that the US Justice Department has to punish foreign companies for their trade practices.
As a result of the new US sanctions, companies worldwide must stop doing business with Iran or risk US fines or other punishment. European and American companies could lose billions of dollars in commercial deals struck since the 2015 Iranian nuclear accord, and lose access to a major new export market. Trump argued that the 2015 deal wasn't tough enough on Iran.
