Rex Tillerson: “Trump Does Not Plan to Block European Business Deals With Iran”
President Donald Trump is not planning to block any European investment deals with Iran, according to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
“The president’s been pretty clear that it’s not his intent to interfere with business deals that the Europeans may have under way with Iran. He’s said it clearly: ‘That’s fine. You guys do what you want to do,’” Tillerson said in a Thursday interview in The Wall Street Journal.
“For us, it is a matter of security, it is a matter of keeping channels of engagement, dialogue and cooperation with Iran opened; from the economic cooperation to the cooperation we have in other sectors—following the (nuclear deal’s) implementation,” said Federica Mogherini, the European Union’s top foreign policy official, told reporters Monday, according to the Washington Examiner.
Tillerson said in the Journal that Europeans are working with the U.S. regarding the policy for six months. “It doesn’t mean that they necessarily agree entirely with it,” he added.
Trump has criticized the agreement, which eased sanctions on Iran in exchange for cutbacks in their nuclear operations. On Oct. 13, he said he would not recertify the U.S.’ participation in the deal.
