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EU reiterates desire to save Iran nuclear deal

Thursday, 09 January 2020 2:32 AM [ Last Update: Thursday, 09 January 2020 2:38 AM ]

Jerome Hughes
Press TV, Brussels

Inside the European Commission on Wednesday, the EU's top officials held talks focusing on growing hostilities following the assassination last week in Iraq by the United States of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani. After the meeting EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen vowed that no efforts will be spared to save the Iran nuclear deal in order to try and bring about a deescalation in tensions.

Although it shies away from applying pressure on Washington the EU does at least acknowledge that the current crisis has come about because Donald Trump, in May 2018, illegally pulled the US out of the 2015 international Iran nuclear agreement or JCPOA, Joint Comprehensive Plan Action.

Sources inside NATO tell us that Washington's Western allies are furious with Trump for again taking unilateral action with the murder of General Soleimani. That anger has been hinted at by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

We spoke to a Brussels-based anti-war campaigner from Yemen who says his country has been ravaged by Washington's allies in the Middle East. He warns a new war with Iran would have dire consequences, globally.

Just minutes after Donald Trump addressed his nation on the crisis in the Middle East, in which he again rubbished the Iran nuclear deal, the head of the European Council Charles Michel, who effectively represents the EU's 28 heads of government, was asked at a press conference he was giving to respond.

On Friday, to discuss the crisis, EU foreign affairs ministers will hold an emergency meeting here at the European Council building. Critics of the bloc's foreign policy question the value of this given the weakness the EU has demonstrated thus far in terms of challenging the actions of President Trump with respect to a whole range of issues.

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