You're reading: The Guardian: EU moves to protect European firms from US sanctions on Iran

The Guardian: EU moves to protect European firms from US sanctions on Iran

Published May 9, 2018 at 4:55 pm

A handout picture provided by the office of Iran's Supreme Leader on May 9, 2018 shows Ayatollah Ali Khamenei waving to the crowd as he delivers a speech during a meeting with students a day after the US president announced the US is pulling out of the nuclear deal. Iran finds itself in a tricky balancing act as it weighs a response to US President Donald Trump's decision to pull out of a landmark nuclear deal. "They need to find a response that keeps the Europeans on their side but also shows they can't just be pushed around," said a Western diplomat in Tehran.

Photo by AFP

The European Union has moved to protect the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement by vowing to take steps to immunize European firms doing business with Tehran from any US sanctions.

France also said on Wednesday it would do everything possible to protect European businesses, a day after Donald Trump announced the US would exit the Iran deal agreed with other major powers in 2015, and impose the highest level of economic sanctions against Iran.