BRUSSELS (Reuters) – US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with the EU’s top diplomat in Brussels on Friday, a day after Vice President Mike Pence accused America’s traditional European allies of trying to undermine US sanctions against Iran. Pence’s unusually tough words for allies Germany, France and Britain reflect Washington’s strategy to try to isolate Iran, in remarks that were likely to further strain transatlantic relations. Trump last year pulled the United States out of the 2015 Iran deal, under which Tehran agreed to curbs on its nuclear program in return for the lifting of sanctions. On Thursday, speaking at NATO before Pence’s comments, Mogherini said the United States and the European Union had “different views” on the Iran nuclear deal and said upholding it was critical to European security because it prevented Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon. In practice, European companies have accepted new US sanctions on Iran and abandoned plans to invest there.

Source: Egypt Independent February 15, 2019 08:37 UTC