France, Germany and Britain ‘regret’ US decision to scrap sanctions waivers for Iran

France, Germany and the United Kingdom have expressed ‘regret’ over a US decision to end sanctions waivers that have allowed foreign participation at Iranian civilian nuclear sites until now.

‘We deeply regret the U.S. decision to end the three waivers,’ the three European countries said in a joint statement. ‘These projects, endorsed by U.N. Security Council Resolution 2231, serve the non-proliferation interests of all and provide the international community with assurances of the exclusively peaceful and safe nature of Iranian nuclear activities,’ the statement added. ‘We are consulting with our partners to assess the consequences of this decision by the United States.’

The waivers had allowed Russian, Chinese and European companies to continue to work on civilian nuclear projects in Iran, including at the Arak heavy water reactor and a research reactor in Tehran, without incurring the imposition of secondary sanctions. .

The Trump administration has taken a tougher line against Iran since pulling out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (the ‘Iran Nuclear Deal’) in 2018.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/e3-and-eeas-joint-statement-on-the-jcpoa