Merkel says EU, US have same ultimate goal toward Iran

TEHRAN (defapress) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel said at Munich Security Conference that there are tactical differences between Europe and the United States on Iran, but their ultimate goal is the same.

News ID: 75653

Date: 16 February 2019 - 16:00

She added that the US withdrawal from the only existing agreement with Iran, that is the 2015 nuclear deal (JCPOA), will have no effect on containing what she claimed to be Iran’s “negative” impact.

She then noted that the exit of American troops from Syria would increase the influence of Iran and Russia in the war-torn country.

Merkel, however, maintained that the Iran nuclear deal is an efficinet agreement worth preserving.

Meanwhile, German FM Heiko Maas fired back at US Vice President Mike Pence for demanding EU to follow Washington out of the JCPOA, voicing support for the nuclear deal. Without this agreement, "the region will not be safer," he said.

The 3-day Munich Security Conference, which will wrap up on Sunday, mainly focuses on ‘International Defense and Trade Cooperation’, and is attended by over 600 top-ranking political figures including heads of states, foreign ministers and defense ministers.

Iran is presented at the international event by Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

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