Alwaght- US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal serves as a cover for Washington’s protectionist policy, which runs counter to the WTO’s rules, Acting Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated.
"It raises many questions. As you know, European capitals, including Paris, have voiced extreme concern over the violation of French and European commercial interests active in Iran as they now may face US sanctions," the Russian spokesman added. "It is actually protectionism in disguise since these steps run totally counter to the WTO’s rules," he pointed out.
According to the presidential spokesman, much work needs to be done in this regard, particularly by attorneys. "As far as we understand, our European counterparts intend to employ all the existing international mechanisms to protect their interests," Peskov concluded.
Meanwhile, Russia's Foreign Minister has denounced the pullout by the US of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal as a “significant” violation of a United Nations resolution that endorsed the international document back then.
During a Thursday press conference with his visiting German counterpart, Heiko Maas, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Washington cannot unilaterally reinstate those anti-Iran sanctions, which were lifted by the United Nations.
“We are seriously concerned about the decision of the US administration to withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), thereby committing a significant violation of Security Council resolution 2231,” Lavrov said, referring to the deal by its official name.
Resolution 2231 was adopted by the UN Security Council in July 2015 to endorse the landmark nuclear agreement, which had been concluded days earlier between Iran, on the one side, and the 15-nation body’s permanent members plus Germany, on the other.
American President Donald Trump sparked widespread international criticisms late on Tuesday, when he announced Washington was walking away from the Iran deal.
The US president also said the “highest level” of economic sanctions would be reinstated against Iran, threatening similar bans against any nation that helped Iran in what he claimed to be “its quest for nuclear weapons.”
Washington’s five other partners in the deal took turns to censure Trump’s attack on the multilateral Iran deal, vowing that they would stick to their commitments under the accord despite the US withdrawal.
The European Union, which led the discussions in the run-up to the deal, also came out in support of landmark agreement, warning the US against any attempt to harm the European firms doing business with Iran.
