US: Don't trade with Iran because politics
UK, DE, FR, CN, RU: Sorry, We like the deal we made and we would like to trade with Iran.
US: If any company trades with Iran, won't be able to trade with the USA. Make your choise.
UK, DE, FR, CN, RU: Okay then, we will create an infrastructure where the USA won't be able to legally identify and sanction our companies that trade with Iran.
As long as Iran agrees to nuclear restrictions in exchange for the financial benefits of sanctions relief (as agreed in the JCPOA), the other members should be safe from a legal standpoint.
Additionally, the EU Blocking Statute [1] came into force, mitigating any sanctions that the US might impose due to companies trading with Iran.
On the other hand, sanctions on a state are usually met with an equivalent response, and the only question is how powerful the other side is. In the case of the EU, the answer is, not powerless.
Look, the US has a lot of cards to play. But randomly bullying banks who didnt do anything wrong, as per your suggestion, is not a particularly effective one, so they won't do that.
It depends. If that would make some voters happy enough to vote Republicans in November, wouldn't it be effective?
In this case it could come back to harm the US tech sector for example, and it would push EU closer to China and Russia.
It doesn’t serm to me that the public opinion in europe is really heading toward that kind of opinion.
On the other side, what specifically Iran did do to deserve this? Yes they meddle around their neighbors, just like every other country. US is the last who should be blaming others for this, Iran is at least home and not inciting civil wars in Mexico or Cuba. In the same time Saudi Arabia doing some small-scale genocide in Yemen, bombing civilians left and right gets a free pass and very friendly attitude, yet they are the one of the biggest exporters of terrorism and country is as far from freedom and equality as one can be in 21st century.
It's good to see that Europe finally grew a spine.
i really don’t think europe should go to economical war against the US to save this regime’s *ss and sell them a few cars. Note that my reasoning would be absolutely identical if US decided to do the same with saudi arabia...
That's the thing, though. Iran clearly isn't some redeemable den of evil, the populace used to be both well-educated and friendly towards the west. It might take a (democratic) regime change to restore relations to anywhere near "good", but at this rate you could say the same about the US.
> BERLIN (Reuters) - The German government is taking steps to counter a surge in Chinese bids for stakes in German technology companies, including the creation of a billion-euro fund that could rescue such firms in financial trouble, a government source told Reuters.
I would be really disappointed if it goes that way though.
You wouldn't want your friends overriding you on what to eat, what you drink, where you sleep, and who you talk to, would you? You'd question the nature and value of that friendship.
See how dollar plunges and US deficit becomes painful when usd is detangled from oil.
Then we will finally know if one can eat aircraft carriers and holywood movies.
European citizens don’t seem to care that much about the EU’s tight relationship with Saudi Arabia... Why should they feel differently about Iran?
This is exactly the kind of bullying attitude that is pushing US allies away from the US. Using the dollar as a weapon causes everyone to desperately seek alternatives.