The European Union head of foreign affairs says the EU will stand by the nuclear agreement with Iran, setting up a potential conflict with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who has condemned the deal.
Federica Mogherini on January 16 insisted that the accord served Europe’s security needs and was "proof that diplomacy works and delivers."
At the same EU ministers meeting, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson also told AFP that the accord must be maintained.
Trump has consistently criticized the agreement with Iran, this weekend denouncing it as "one of the worst deals ever made."
The accord was signed by Iran and the United States, China, Russia, Britain, France, and Germany in July 2015, placing limits on Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for easing oil, trade, and financial sanctions.
U.S. President Barack Obama on January 16 marked the first anniversary of the lifting of sanctions, reiterating the benefits of the pact and citing its “significant and concrete results in making the United States and the world a safer place."