Iran’s Khamenei warns govt about deception by European states

Al-Arabia – Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Monday warned his country’s government not to be deceived by European signatories of the nuclear deal with major powers, now under threat after a US withdrawal.

Washington’s major European allies opposed US President Donald Trump’s decision to abandon the deal and have been trying to salvage the pact.

“America’s enmity towards Iran is obvious. Our enemies’ heart is full of enmity towards the Islamic Republic … our officials should not be deceived by the Europeans … don’t be fooled by Europeans,” Khamenei said, state TV reported.

Iran has called on the EU to do more to show its commitment to the deal, despite a new European mechanism for non-dollar trade with Iran to avoid US sanctions.

Under the deal, all international sanctions on Iran were lifted in 2016 in return for Tehran accepting curbs on its nuclear program.

Washington re-imposed sanctions on Iran last year, targeting its oil and banking sectors.